The Hood and the Bat: The Vengeful Undertaking
by The Prince of Nothing Charming
Summary: After surviving Lian Yu Oliver returns to Starling City as a man with a mission to save the City he loves Only, he's not alone in that mission. What's up with his old friend Bruce Wayne? Why does he seem so different than the Rich Playboy that Oliver left behind? What is the mysterious criminal the Black Mask planning and how can how our Legendary Heroes stop it? *Discontinued*
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: Thanks to each and every one of you that reviewed and helped the creative process. This is a bit of a heads up, I've decided to incorporate bits and pieces of Team Arrow and the Bat-Family, in what capacities, well you just have to find out won't you? The series will border on the edge of Canon, I think you'll see what I mean as the story goes on. It deviates from the episodes actual course and some episodes are completely cut but I think it's for the better of the whole story.**_

_**Also, some clarification right now as to changed events.  
Oliver and Sara dated instead of Laurel, Tommy blames Bruce for the Ship sinking, Sara is for 100% dead with no chance of possibly coming back, and this series will reference Smallville in some minor ways. (Clark's existence will be mentioned and Lex, Chloe and Lionel will appear in minor roles.) I just happen start that show in the last few weeks and have fallen in love with Chlex so expect that to be mentioned.**_

_**Spoilers for the events of Lian Yu below.**_

_**The Island events changed and will be seen in Nightmares and Flashbacks. Occupied by Fyers originally before Oliver, Slade and Shado defeated him, Ivo then arrived and began his reign which ended shortly after Shado's death thanks to Slade's use of the Mirakuru and finally the League of Assassins arrived offering to train Oliver to fight Slade after his escape, Oliver never left the Island for Hong Kong but was instead trained by Ra's Al Ghul personally. **__**All of the Island's changed events will be shown in Flashbacks, anything not mentioned is best assumed to not have changed.**_

**_Also, Barry Allen will not appear. At all. I'm sorry to Flash fans but to me he's the most annoying superhero in the DC Universe following the Martian Manhunter and I REALLY hate him. _**

**_So now that I've likely offended more than half of you, please stay patient with me on updates I have a fairly heavy semester starting this week with mainly University level Law and Psychology classes so I have to juggle homework, friends and maintain quality in this series. That won't be easy and it may take a week or two for an update sometimes though I promise a minimum of 5k words per chapter._**

**_Without further ado, please, enjoy._**

* * *

Oliver truly never expected to leave Lian Yu after five years on the hellish island that had become his whole world. He wasn't sure he deserved to leave after everything he'd done. He had destroyed more lives than he would every truly know, that was counting the family and friends of the people he'd killed to survive. Who knew if those men had families or loved ones that would be destroyed to learn they would never see them again.

Oliver pushed these thoughts from his mind as the car rolled down the gravel driveway of the Queen Estate toward his home. Home. For the last five years his home had been a cave, a crashed plane, a cage on a boat and a wooden hut. Oliver forgot what it felt like not to be in constant danger, not having to look over his shoulder every minute. He was both relieved and disappointed. He no longer had to worry about continual torture or people trying eagerly to kill him to prove their worth and that relieved him, but he could also never forget the feeling of excitement and adrenaline that had rarely left his body during his stay on the island. He had always dreamed of returning home but never expected it to happen, and now that he was home all he wanted to be back on the Island.

As the car crept to a halt just in front of the main door to the large, three story Tudor-style mansion that he remembered so well yet nearly forgot, Oliver stepped from the back door before the Driver could climb out and get it for him like he used to. He made purposeful, long strides toward the front door and hesitated for a moment as his hand reached the doorknob.

Was he ready to return home? Could he still face his family now that he'd changed so much, he wasn't the person they knew and yet he knew they expected him to be.

Oliver felt a sudden rush of fear as the doorknob turned in his hand and he realized he no longer had a choice, he had to return home. The moment the door swung open Oliver was attacked by a mass of brown hair that wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Oliver quickly realized that his little Sister had indeed grown up, she stood nearly a foot and a half taller and was dressed considerably more womanly then the little sister he'd left behind.

"Hey Thea." Oliver couldn't have fought the bright smile on his face if he wanted to as he wrapped his weeping little sister tightly in his arms. "I've missed you." He whispered quietly into her ear as he rubbed soothing patterns on her back. He pulled her from him enough that they could enter the home to meet the rest of the family yet allowed Thea to continue to cry on his shoulder. The entire time she was in his arms Thea had been trying to speak but it mainly came out as a series of sobs and incoherent rambling which Oliver politely ignored knowing they would catch up later when she had composed herself.

Oliver wasn't surprised to find Bruce and Selina together with the Raven-haired Billionaire's arm around the dazzling brunettes waist and tear-stains on Bruce's shoulder. Selina's teary eyed smile matched Moira's near perfectly while Bruce and Tommy stood as stoically as possible.

It was in that moment that Oliver realized that Malcolm Merlyn and Walter Steele stood dutifully to the side watching the happy reunion with pleasant smiles. Oliver could understand Malcolm's appearance, though a ruthless businessman he had always managed a certain level of Uncle-figure to Oliver. What Oliver couldn't understand, was Walter's stake in Oliver's return. Why had his father's old CFO come to welcome Oliver back, sure he'd known Walter before the Gambit's sinking but they had nothing close to friendship, more a friendly business relationship than anything.

Thea had found the strength to leave Oliver's side and instead turned to Tommy for comfort allowing Moira to pull Oliver into a tight, teary hug. She welcomed him back in hushed whispers as she barely managed to keep herself composed in his arms before stepping toward Walter whom wrapped her in his arms while she finally broke down. So that was his stake in Oliver's return, he had taken advantage of Robert's death to secure his position as CEO of Queen Consolidated by comforting Moira. The glare he sent at Walter could only be described as vicious before it was interrupted by Selina barreling into his arms.

She broke down in his arms and squeezed him as tightly as possible while thanking every deity known to man and some she probably made up for his safe return. She wept for a solid minute before she finally stepped away from him with a shy smile and tears streaming down her face. She thanked him finally for his safe return and fell back to let Bruce pull his friend into the tightest hug he'd every received. Oliver was almost certain that Bruce's hug could crack ribs if he squeezed any harder.

And last but not least Tommy pulled him into yet another hug, not nearly as tight as Bruce's but still full of the same brotherly love that Bruce's had been. He was excited to catch up with his old friends when he finally settled into life as a regular person again. Tommy didn't have the same teary eyed, happy grin that the rest of the room shared, instead his gaze was clear and full of uncertainty like he wanted to ask a question but could tell it wasn't the time as he stepped back beside his father.

It hadn't escaped Oliver that Tommy had been glaring menacingly toward Bruce as he settled beside his dad at the exact opposite end of the room from Bruce and Selina. He refused to destroy the pleasant air of the room by commenting on the animosity as Moira announced that they would all be staying for dinner which would be ready in the next half hour.

They had spent that half hour in one of the Dens watching t.v while Tommy and Bruce pretended the animosity didn't exist. They had caught him up on anything they deemed important. Lex Luthor's take over and subsequent expansion of LuthorCorp, the winners of the last five Stanley Cups, Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and World Series' and all other 'relevant' information that Oliver barely cared for. As the half hour came to a close the conversation finally turned toward the Batman and Catwoman.

The family seemed to have mixed feeling about the duo, while Tommy and Malcolm considered them just another criminal with a mask Walter and Bruce seemed adamant that the duo fought crime in the Glades better than police.

"I'm just saying that if these people can dress up in costumes and kill people without getting caught they're just good criminals, not heroes." Malcolm argued as he and Tommy sat together on the loveseat both adamant that the Vigilantes were evil. Bruce and Walter sat opposite them with Selina in the middle arguing the opposite while Selina looked as if she was ready to pull her hair out.

"These Vigilantes have put a considerable dent in organized crime Malcolm, that should make you happy. That means people susceptible to your fear tactics will fill the business market while removing the Criminals that might rob you." Bruce argued back, his point made valid sense. Since his return Oliver had heard nothing but bad things about businessmen, people like Adam Hunt, a man that defrauded forty million dollars from the already struggling people of the Glades, ran rampant in Starling.

"Just because they keep my finances safe doesn't mean I have to like them." Malcolm grumbled sourly as Moira came in with a pleasant smile and announced that dinner was ready and waiting in the dining room.

The group marched into the dining room and took seats, Walter at one end while Oliver sat at the other with Bruce and Tommy on Oliver's left and right. Selina and Thea sat beside Bruce and Tommy respectively, while Malcolm sat across from Moira on Walter's left. The dinner had been delicious and the conversation only had to be forced a little bit after the disagreements over the vigilantes soured the mood slightly. After the conversations got rolling the mood found its way back up toward friendly only souring slightly when Tommy would intentionally interrupt Bruce or vise versa.

"So, Walter, how long have you been CEO of Queen Consolidated?" Oliver asked interrupting both Bruce and Tommy after their constant rivalry and interruptions had riled him to a breaking point.

"A little over three years now, I didn't realize you wanted to get into business Oliver." Walter smiled pleasantly at his step-son eager to share something to bond over.

"And I didn't realize you wanted to sleep with my mother." Oliver said placing a napkin over his plate and rising from his seat. "May I be excused?" Oliver asked for politeness sake and left without an answer. He marched back to his room rather angrily, he couldn't wrap his head around how Tommy and Bruce had been acting. He couldn't imagine what had brought on this vile hatred for one another. He sat in his room doing various work outs including sit up, push ups, and shadow boxing when he was interrupted by a knock at his door.

He quickly threw on a white cotton t-shirt over his scarred chest and answered the door to find Bruce and Selina smiling happily as they marched into his room without invitation.

"Ollie, we're going out on the town tonight. You need to let loose and have fun!" Selina demanded as she started to sort through his clothes for the appropriate clubbing attire. Bruce on the other hand took a seat on the rocking chair that sat mainly unused in the corner of the room. They had both been dressed to the nines for Oliver's return. Bruce was in a thousand dollar, custom tailored designer suit while Selina had squeezed into a form fitting, glittery black dress of the same designer that showed off all of her curves like it was supposed to.

"I have no say in this do I?" He smiled kindly at his friends as they both shook their heads. Selina had pieced together half of a elegant grey suit Oliver used to favor before the accident. Oliver decided now would be a good a time as any to get the scoop. "Since when do you and Tommy hate each other?" I asked curiously from where I sat on my bed staring toward Bruce for an answer.

"Since he blames me for your disappearance and Sara's death." Bruce didn't look up, his neutral tone spoke volumes about the situation for him. "Just before you came back he was so prepared to hate you. Laurel blamed you for Sara's death and when they started dating Tommy started to hate you too. So about two weeks ago I told them that you didn't want to go and that I encouraged you to go on the cruise and take Sara with you." Bruce's eyes finally met Oliver's and he saw the sorrow and pain of lying to one of his best friends.

"Why would you tell him that, you didn't even know we were going." Oliver was confused, it made sense why Tommy would hate him for that, but why had Bruce lied in the first place.

"You were his best friend, not mine. We barely spoke after you.. disappeared." Bruce struggled to keep him composure, Tommy's hate hurt him more than he was willing to admit and Oliver could understand. Tommy might not have considered Bruce one of his best friends, but Bruce had considered him one. "It was easy for Tommy to accept that I was the villain in this scenario, I didn't want you to come back home to your best friend hating you."

Oliver was nearly floored by this revelation. Before his return Tommy had hated him, probably hoped he'd been died on the island with Sara, and in that moment, Oliver agreed with that sentiment. If he had died on Lian Yu then Bruce and Tommy wouldn't be at each others throats and Tommy would only have to hate a memory, not one of his oldest friends.

Selina had stayed silent during this whole conversation having finished piecing together the suit. Not wanting to interrupt she decided to hand it to him silently and gestured toward the bathroom. Oliver stood silently, still stunned by the new knowledge he changed quickly and sprayed just enough cologne to appease Selina before emerging from the bathroom.

"Ready to rock?" Selina smiled widely hoping to pull Oliver from his sullen mood with her own cheer. Oliver's crisp nod was enough confirmation for her to take his arm and pull him along with Bruce trailing behind by a foot or so. When they slid into Bruce's Porsche he revved it up and took off toward Club Zero, arguably the hottest club in Starling, much to Oliver's disappointment.

He had been hoping for a bar or a smaller club where they'd be able to drink and have fun, at a place like Club Zero you had to watch your drink, who you danced with and where you stepped. One wrong step and you could be drugged, fought or killed depending on the offense. Club Zero may have been the hottest club, but it was also a known affiliate of the Black Mask's drug and prostitution ring. If you stepped on one of the girls you could lose a foot, if you stumbled into a drug dealer you could find yourself overdosing on a combination of various drugs. That was how the Black Mask ran his empire, and that was how he managed to eliminate all of his competition. The most Ruthless businessman won, that was how the Black Mask played his games.

They had stayed for nearly two hours which Oliver spent at the bar drinking turning down the various prostitutes that approached him. In a place like Club Zero four out of every five girls weren't there by choice. After he had finished his fifth beer Bruce and Selina stumbled back over to him sweaty and unkempt, Oliver knew exactly what they'd been doing before they returned. With the excuse of near exhaustion Oliver managed to convince his friends to leave the Club with him and stumble back to the Porsche.

They rounded the corner to the private parking garage where Bruce had parked the car earlier. Oliver quickly sensed something was amiss as two cargo vans approached from either direction and effectively block them in before masked men climbed out loaded for bear with military grade assault rifles. Oliver collapsed in a jolt of pain as twelve hundred volts of electricity flooded his body. As his consciousness abandoned him he saw his captors pull syringes from Selina and Bruce's neck as they collapsed as well.

* * *

"Mister Queen." A voice broke through the painful haze and Oliver opened his eyes to find himself in darkness. Feeling the bag hang around his neck Oliver had the sense to realize that panic wouldn't help his situation. "Mister Queen!" The voice demanded angrily as the bag ripped off of Oliver's head to reveal six men in devil masks carrying M16 rifles. The man directly in front of him flashed a taser in his face and sparked it to scare Oliver.

Oliver's gaze traveled around the dusty warehouse that served as Oliver's new prison he noticed Bruce and Selina unconscious and tied up way on the opposite side of the Captor. Oliver glared harshly at the six men in front of him as he started to formulate a plan of attack.

"Did your father survive that accident?" He asked squatting down in front of Oliver to be eye level. "Did he tell you anything?" The voice had a odd calmness to him as he sparked the taser once more before growling viciously. "Now, I don't want to hurt you Mister Queen, but my friend here," He gestured to one of the goons on the man's right. "His specialty is torture." The smile on his face was loud enough to be heard in his voice.

"Now, one more time. Did Robert Queen tell you anything?" The man asked patiently waiting a minute before handing the taser to the man on his right. Oliver didn't have a second to prepare as the man drove the taser into Oliver's chest. The scream of agony tore its way out of Oliver's throat before he could try and stop it. The shudders racked his body as the electricity burned through his veins before leaving him shaking painfully.

"Again, did your father make it to that Island? Did he tell you anything?" The original interrogator asked from his position a few feet behind the torturer. Oliver struggled against his binds as he felt them tear loose, he had began working them the moment he'd woken and none of his captors had realized. With an accomplished smirk Oliver opened his mouth to speak.

"Yeah.." Oliver gasped formulating a quick plan as he stalled for a moment, "He told me..." Oliver realized that the Torturer still had his rifle slung around his back and would be easy to beat. "That I'm going to kill you." This sent Oliver's captors into a laughing fit allowing him another minute to finish his plan.

"I find that hard to believe Mister Queen, seeing as how we have automatic weapons and you're zip-tied to that chair." The interrogated laughed menacingly as he waved the torturer to continue.

As the man's arm came down to Oliver's chest Oliver quickly grabbed the man's hand before he could electrocute Oliver. Ripping the taser from his grip Oliver quickly stabbed the man in the throat with the taser puncturing the carotid artery sending him to the floor in a pool of blood. Taking the chair he'd sat on and smashing it over the Interrogators head shattering the chair and knocking the man unconscious.

Using the serrated pieces of the chair leg Oliver quickly eliminated the closest two captors by shoving chair legs through their chest before launching himself into the third captor and snapping his neck with ease. The final captor raised his rifle quickly and unloaded two bursts that Oliver blocked with the third captor's body. The shock of having shot his friend gave Oliver the chance to pull the dead captor's knife and hurl it between the man's eyes effectively freeing himself from the Captors.

With the captor's dead and their leader incapacitated Oliver turned his attention to Selina and Bruce. The latter of whom sat wide awake in utter awe of Oliver's raw talent, calm demeanor and fluid motion in the heat of combat and potential death. Oliver quickly made his way to his friends and cut them free with another captor's knife. Bruce wordlessly pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and began wiping down any evidence of Oliver's involvement.

"This was the Batman." Bruce told Oliver as he pulled his phone from his pocket. "We all came too to find the Batman finishing off the last captor before he cut us free." Oliver nodded in agreement not wanting anyone to know of his skills. Selina came too slightly after Bruce and seemed to buy the Batman story truthfully considering she'd been unconscious and didn't seem to doubt the fact for a moment.

The police arrived on scene in force when Bruce reported the Batman had saved him, Selina and Oliver from the captors. Oliver wasn't sure he wanted half of the Starling City police force on his case but was glad that they took the threat against their lives seriously. The interviewing detectives, Laurel's dad Quentin and a nice, middle aged man named Jim Gordon had at least be courteous when taking their interviews.

They hadn't been open in their disappointment that their statements hadn't given them any new leads nor did they voice the fact that this was not the Bat's modus operandi. Quentin had all but refused to say a word to Bruce for obvious reasons though it seemed like Jim and Bruce had a good friendship from the way the interview had turned from a professional interview to catching up on someone named Barbara.

Quentin took Oliver and Selina's statements and grumbled to Jim about going to get coffee before wandering away without hesitation. After finally being cleared to leave Oliver had been picked up by Moira and Walter while Alfred picked up Bruce and Selina returning them home.

* * *

By the time Oliver had made it home Bruce was sitting in their driveway leaning against his Lamborghini. Oliver excused himself to speak to his friend and left his mom and Walter to wander into the house.

"What's up Bruce?" Oliver asked casually hoping his friend would ignore his display earlier. The sun had set sometime during their time in captivity though the night was still early, if necessary Oliver could claim exhaustion and leave at any time.

"I wanted you to come over, Selina and I have to talk to you." He gave Oliver a knowing look that let him know he wasn't off the hook for the incident and he glumly climbed into the passenger seat of the Lamborghini. Bruce had driven like a maniac back to his house managing to make the usual ten minute drive in three. As they rolled up Bruce's driveway he rolled at an understandable pass before creeping to a stop in the large, ten car garage of the large mansion.

The large ten thousand square foot Gothic-style mansion complete with a courtyard out front and five acres of land surrounding it reminded Oliver just how well off Bruce was. Not to mention the collection of million dollar cars he had stowed away in the garaged they'd just entered. Oliver felt a small twinge of jealousy remembering that all of the money he had came from his parents while Bruce's had been earned by years of blood, sweat and tears.

Oliver wordlessly followed Bruce through the house toward what Oliver soon realized was Thomas Wayne's old study. The walls were lined from floor to ceiling in thousands of books. Over the years Oliver had attempted to read some of the books that lined the room. They ranged from history textbooks to business guides, self-help books to biographies of the world's most successful men, no subject was out of Thomas Wayne's interest.

_'You can never know enough.'_ That had been Thomas' motto during life something Bruce had lived by from a young age. As soon as he could read he started with history and moved to biology before starting with chemistry followed by years of law study. Bruce's intelligence rivaled Lex Luthor himself and the man was known for his IQ being two-hundred-seventy-four.

Oliver noticed Selina lounging casually on a loveseat taking up the length with her legs reading Shakespeare's Julius Caeser and Oliver smiled. Selina would never have touched a book, let alone Shakespeare before his disappearance.

"Oliver." Bruce's voice snapped Oliver from his reminiscence reminding him of the matter at hand he turned to face Bruce seriously. "Did your father tell you anything about the Undertaking?" His tone was curious and stern at the same time. Oliver racked his brain for any mention of the Undertaking and shook his head as nothing came to mind.

"Do you want to know why my parents were gunned down?" Oliver's curiosity peaked as he heard this, "It's the same reason the Gambit went down." Selina had lost interest in Shakespeare as she watched her best friends apprehensively. Oliver's intense glare at Bruce could reduce any regular man to ashes in an instant but Bruce met his glare with a firmly blank expression.

"Of course I want to know." Oliver snarled angrily, the fact they had to even ask offended him. They were supposed to be his friends, why would they consider _not _telling him.

"The Black Mask." Bruce said slowly hoping to deliver the news slowly and ease the pain. "He has a plan." Bruce could tell the slow and steady approach was failing as Oliver's glare intensified, demanded with one look that Bruce tell all. "We know is that it's called the Undertaking, and that our parents died trying to stop it, but otherwise we're clueless." Bruce admitted sadly as he slumped into his father's old reading chair and stared earnestly at Oliver.

"We..." Bruce paused and glanced to Selina apprehensively, only continuing when she nodded reassuringly. "We need your help." Bruce admitted glancing toward Selina who smiled happily at him before both their stares turned to a perplexed Oliver

"How do I help?" He said with a determination neither had ever heard from their friend before. Oliver was eager to bring his father's killer to his knees and make him beg forgiveness before ripping his life from his hands.

"You suit up." Selina spoke happily as she and Bruce stood and made their way to an old unused Grandfather clock and waited for Oliver to follow. Realizing they were waiting for him Oliver stood and made his way to his friends even more lost than he was a moment before. Bruce pulled side of the large grandfather clock and Oliver gasped in surprise as the large clock swung open with ease revealing a small hallway and a small, bare bones industrial elevator.

"What do you mean suit up?" Oliver asked as Selina and Bruce walked purposefully into the hidden passage and stood patiently on the elevator.

"Follow us and find out." Bruce challenged with a playful wink and was joined by Oliver on the elevator not even a minute later.

As the elevator descended Oliver couldn't imagine what he might find beneath the surface of his friend's mansion. The reality as the elevator touched down had blown anything Oliver could have imagined out of the water. The large cavern was entirely decked out with a large, multi-screened supercomputer tucked into the corner with hands typing away at it furiously. Oliver noticed a workout area with complete a complete home gym, free weights and a salmon ladder, two large glass cases containing a male and female mannequin wearing the Batman and Catwoman costumes respectively and a sparring arena with bamboo sticks, shock batons and MMA gloves.

The long whistle that rang out brought Oliver's attention back to the supercomputer where he now noticed a large, buff African-American man standing over the computer chair's shoulder smiling toward the three. Bruce and Selina wandered over quickly while Oliver meandered through the cave in awe. He inspected the costumes in the cases and noticed they seemed to be made of a reflexive kevlar suit with a similarly reflexive titanium plating over vital organs.

"Ollie!" Selina whistled to catch his attention and he marched over quickly realizing they were waiting for him. As he stepped up beside his friends he found the large ex-soldier staring him down trying to size him up. Apparently Oliver passed the man's visual test because he held his hand out to shake.

"John Diggle." The man introduced himself as Oliver took his hand. "I already know you." He said reassuring Oliver hadn't needed to introduce himself as he opened his mouth to do so. Next Oliver's attention snapped to the sight of the blonde in the chair in front of him as she turned to look up at him curiously. Oliver held out a hand to shake and the Blonde took it with ease.

"Hi, I'm Felicity, and you're Oliver Queen." In that moment, Oliver wasn't even sure. The girl in front of him threw him off his axis, she seemed to kind and innocent yet her cerulean blue eyes held a merciless deviance at the same time. She was so beautiful he was sure he'd seen the wrong person sitting in front of him. There was no chance that a blonde as beautiful as her was a computer tech, she deserved to be a model or superstar.

"This is the part where you say something." Bruce nudged his shoulder jokingly and the crowd erupt into laughter, well everyone except for Oliver and Felicity whose gaze hadn't broken since the first moment of eye contact. "Alright Felicity, show him." This seemed to knock the blonde out of her haze as she quickly snapped her eyes to the screen in front of her.

"Yeah, right, the list, right." She mumbled to herself as she shook her head and Oliver couldn't help but wonder if she had felt the same thing he did the moment their eyes connected. It felt like a world had opened up, like every thing he'd went through in the last five years was worth it. Felicity settled into her computer and a natural ease flowed into her as she typed away happily before finally bringing up a long list of hundreds of names.

"This, is a list of every supporter the Black Mask has." Bruce announced as Felicity pulled up a file on Adam Hunt. "Alfred gave me this book about a year ago. It was full of these names, and that's when I started being the Bat. I wanted to bring his organization to it's knees." Bruce explained as Felicity cycled through other names on the list.

"During that year while plea for their lives I learned more and more about the Black Mask's organizations. He has a plan, it's called the Undertaking, and no one but a select few that call themselves Tempest know the finer details." Bruce explained before taking a breath. "Apparently, our parents were apart of Tempest and it's widely known among the Mask's supporters that he had them killed for trying to stop him. They became a lesson, they were a _fucking_ lesson." Bruce growled furiously at the screen as more names flipped by. Oliver glared furiously at the list on the computer in front of him and turned to Bruce with a fierce determination and fire in his eyes as he spoke.

"We are going to destroy every single one of the names on this list, including the Black Mask."

* * *

_**And thus ends chapter one. Please let me know what you think in the reviews.**_

_** I know I cut most of the dialogue in this chapter but I absolutely suck at writing Oliver's return. I tried and tried and kept failing horrible so I decided to cut most of it in favor of summarizing it. I hope I met your expectations of this first chapter, and am happy to answer any and all questions you have. The next chapter will likely be double the length and bring the arrival of the Hood, and mark the first appearances of Jason Todd, Roy Harper and Barbara Gordon.**_

_**Don't forget to follow, favorite and review, it's what drives this story and all the time I put into it. Until next time, stay safe and continue to love Olicity.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thanks for all of the reviews! I'm glad you guys are liked the intro to the series, this is the first original chapter. Finishing at 9502 words I am happy to say the total word count for this story so far was my original goal when I first started this series! Can you believe that, how sad would this story have been? Anyway, this chapter entirely ignores Honor Thy Father and Martin Summer's is entirely irrelevant, at least for now. The next chapter will follow Lone Gunman but stray away after the initial confrontation with Deadshot.**_

_**Highlander348- All shall be revealed today my friend!**_

* * *

The day after Oliver's promise to see the Black Mask's world burn found him and Bruce training viciously in the sparring arena with bamboo sticks. Felicity, Diggle and Selina watched in awe as Oliver countered Bruce blow for blow with the bamboo. He even managed to land a few blows on the man they had deemed the best martial artist in the world.

Until that day none of the trio had come close to comparing to Bruce let alone besting him, meanwhile Oliver seemed to keep up with Bruce's super-human pace with ease. As Oliver continued to keep pace with Bruce it seemed like the archer was beginning to speed up as he started landing more hits on Bruce then the Bat could counter before they realized that Oliver had worn Bruce out. With bewildered look the trio watched as Oliver disarmed Bruce of his bamboo sticks and knocked him to the ground before placing the stick at his throat like a sword.

"Match." Oliver's fiercely determined glare turning into a friendly grin as he stepped off the Billionaire and pulled him to his feet. The two slung their arms around each other's shoulders and stepped out of the ring to shower not caring how sweaty they had been. Felicity turned and wandered back over toward her computer while Diggle marched purposefully toward the piece of wall that acted as a garage for the 'Batmobile' as Bruce called it.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Bruce asked suspiciously as he followed Oliver toward the Salmon ladder. The younger 'Trustifarian' as Tommy called themselves shrugged casually hoping his reply sounded casual.

"Lian Yu, where else would I have learned to fight like that?" Oliver smiled at his friend hoping to ease his suspicions as he sat at the meeting table in the middle of the Batcave. Sadly he was mistaken as his friend continued to eye him suspiciously while taking a seat across from him Oliver decided to turn the tables. "Where did _you _learn to fight like that?" Oliver of course knew the answer, only members of the League fought that hard and that well.

"After you died, I went off on a sort of pilgrimage. I was in the Alps trying to survive the elements and failing horribly. That's where he found me." Bruce said casually as if he wasn't speaking about his near death experience on the Alps. The mention of a him had peaked Oliver's curiosity though. While a majority of the League were men it was safe to assume Oliver knew exactly who it was that saved him.

"The man explained that he had a monastery nearby and offered to take me in." Bruce explained without needed to be told, "They were warrior monks, some had spent their whole lives learning every type of fighting style." That had sold it, Oliver knew at that moment that he and Bruce had been trained by the same man. Ra's Al Ghul.

"Let me guess, they brought you in, clothed you, fed you, and trained you." Oliver interrupted before his friend could continue to speak, his slow nod confirmed Oliver's suspicions while Oliver's interruption confirmed Bruce's. "The training was more so a violent ass kicking at first right?" Oliver smiled when Bruce nodded eagerly, Oliver remembered the days when Ra's had ordered his canonization. The sound of his bones snapping still lingered in the back of his mind as he remembered the vicious beatings that had lasted months.

* * *

_The small village of wooden huts had been built quickly and efficiently while Oliver sat in a metal cage. Nobody spoke to him, not that he had nobody left to speak to. Slade had made sure of that. The rest of Ivo's prisoners had been returned to their homes, even Anatoly Knyazev had been allowed to leave the island on one of the mysterious groups boats. Not Oliver. No, he had been kept in a cage in the old submarine that once held the Mirakuru while the mysterious men built their village._

_He had been visited daily by an elderly man dressed in a million dollar suit, his voice was full of authority yet sympathy as he spoke to Oliver. Each day he promised that Oliver's release would come as soon as he agreed to join his men and each day Oliver refused. Fyers had a similar recruitment strategy, it hadn't worked a year ago and a half ago, it wouldn't work today._

_After nearly a month living in the cage Oliver surrendered. __Then came the pain._

_He had been released from his cage immediately, unable to walk he had been dragged from the sub to the makeshift village and tossed into the 'center' of the disorganized mess of huts. Laying in the center of a circle of men dressed in full black combat suits he tried to stand he received a swift kick to the gut that sent him to the ground gasping for air. When he regained his breath he tried to stand again, this time not giving anyone the open opportunity to wind him._

_A solid boot connecting with his spine sent him face first into the ground. _

_The howling laughter of the mysterious group around them infuriated Oliver. He laid face down for a minute as the laughter subsided before he climbed from his laying position quickly and tackled the last masked man to laugh. He began beating the man savagely while the men around him began kicking, punching and pulling as they tried to remove Oliver from their friend before a loud yell interrupted them._

_"ENOUGH!" The masked men stepped back instantly while Oliver continued to beat the man beneath his hands. "Enough Oliver." The elderly man calmly laid a hand on the exhausted man's shoulder which should have sent him into another fury but something told Oliver that wasn't a good idea. Oliver climbed from the man beneath him and realized that in his fury he had snapped the man's neck._

_"This is your canonization period." The man informed Oliver as if he should know what that was. "You are going to prove your strength."_

* * *

And Prove it he did.

He endured beating after beating for months, he eventually managed to defeat the group he'd later come to know was the Best of the League's Assassins. With Ra's Al Ghul's personal training Oliver became the strongest warrior Ra's had ever trained. His return to Starling was only with the promise that when the League called, he would act without hesitation.

Pulled from his daydreams by the sound of bamboo clacking he realized that Bruce had disappeared along with Diggle leaving him sitting quietly at the table.

His attention turned to the sparring arena where Selina and Felicity stood smiling devilishly at each other as they launched at each other. Felicity was easily keeping pace with Selina whom was obviously taking it easy on the beginner as she countered each of her hits with ease. Oliver's attention dragged slowly from the fight before him to focus solely on Felicity.

Earlier she had been dressed in a beautiful sea green dress that made her eyes pop like nothing Oliver he'd ever seen before. Now she was dressed in a bright pink sports bra and tight black yoga shorts that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. It was in that moment Oliver realized that Selina had taken a backseat to Felicity as the most beautiful woman Oliver had ever laid eyes on. Not only was she gorgeous but her body was that of a goddess, beautifully unmarked and perfected by a gorgeous natural tan.

As the two fought fiercely Oliver came to admire her body while praising her fluid movements and resilience. She held in her gasps of pain whenever Selina would occasionally take advantage of her weak spots and knock her to the side. It occurred to Oliver that he'd only actually said a handful of words to Felicity in the time he'd been a member of 'the Bat-family' as they'd taken to calling themselves. He hadn't actually spoken to her and held a friendly conversation with her yet and that irritated him.

He stood silently by the edge of the ring as the duo sparred with excited grins on their faces. Felicity sweat soaked skin enraptured Oliver's attention until the moment the duo separated. As they stepped back from each other placing the Bamboo on the rack above the shock batons Oliver tried to make it seem like he'd be paying attention to the training and not Felicity.

"Great job Girls." He smiled easily as the girls walked toward the Elevator to shower and change. Oliver wandered just behind them and climbed in with them as the elevator rose. "Felicity, you were kick ass in the ring." Felicity's blush wasn't hidden by her hair nearly as well as she thought it was while Selina smiled knowingly at Oliver and remained silent.

"Thanks Ollie. Sorry, can I call you Ollie, I heard Selina and Bruce call you it a couple times and thought it was okay, sorry. I'll stop. Yeah, definitely stopping." Felicity ranted before mumbling incoherently to herself as Oliver grinned at her.

"Felicity, you can call me whatever you want." Oliver tossed in a flirtatious wink just to fluster the nervous Blonde even more and grinning ever more as he watched it happen. She disappeared the moment the elevator came to a stop leaving Selina and Oliver giggling in the elevator.

"Did you really have to do that?" Selina asked with a playful smile on her face, she loved watching Oliver flirt and was over-ecstatic that he'd chosen to flirt with Felicity. If there was any person to make Oliver Queen settle down it was Felicity Smoak. She followed Oliver out of the elevator and into the Study where Bruce and Diggle stood waiting for Oliver to give him his suit.

"I didn't have to, but it was fun." Oliver smiled when Selina excused herself to go clean herself up leaving Oliver with Diggle and Bruce in the study. The duo smirked knowing at Oliver having run into Felicity as she all but ran out of the elevator. Oliver shrugged helplessly before noticing the humorous look in their eyes. "What?" Oliver asked curiously before scanning around the room for the hidden joke and finding none.

"You." Bruce said as he strolled casually toward Oliver and sliding his arm around his shoulder. "And Felicity." Bruce nodded approvingly before looking to Diggle for his opinion. Diggle said nothing as he nodded in agreement before following Bruce and Oliver back into the Bat-cave. Oliver was surprised to say the least, not only had he not expected encouragement, he had expected brotherly threats of castration in the event that Oliver hurt her but none came.

As they strode purposefully back into the Bat-cave Oliver noticed that Diggle had been holding a rather large, over-stuffed duffle-bag. "By the way, the threats are implied." Bruce said off-handedly making Oliver smile, he was glad that after five years he could still predict his best friend. Oliver followed Diggle to the table he'd lost himself at earlier and watched as Diggle placed the duffle-bag in front of him and pushed it in front of Oliver.

"Open it." He demanded with a mock no nonsense glare as Oliver happily reached forward and pulled the zipper down. The green fabric suit had been unexpected as Oliver pulled the light kevlar suit from the bag. The material of this suit was similar to the fabric of Bruce and Selina's own costumes and Oliver began to wonder why Diggle never suited up himself.

As if sensing his question Diggle answered, "Plausible deniability, if I'm not caught with them then I'm not a part of this." He gestured to the cave and all the gadgets around and Oliver nodded understandably as he looked back in the bag and noticed a compact short-bow and medium sized quiver full of arrows sitting at the bottom of the bag with a note attached.

_"Make sure they deserve it. - L.F" _

"L.F" I asked aloud and Bruce answered instantly without hesitation.

"Lucius Fox, head of Wayne's R&amp;D department and my father's best friend. Without him, I'd have none of what Diggle isn't a part of." He gestured to the cave and Diggle nodded in amused agreement. The two seemed almost lost in thought before the computer started to beep fairly loudly. "There's the deadline." Bruce said turning to the computer to turn off the alert before turning to open the glass cylinder around his gear.

"What deadline?" Oliver asked curiously as he instantly began suiting up in his own costume without hesitation.

"Adam Hunt's, yesterday Selina and I paid him a visit and demanded he return the money that he embezzled from the Glade in twenty four hours." Bruce explained as he slid the boots of his suit on and continued, "He hasn't."

Wordlessly the two continued to slide into their costumes before finally climbing into the 'bat-mobile' which turns out was just a Lamborghini Murcielago with ten inches of bullet resistance everything, armor, glass and tires were all reinforced to the highest degree Lucius Fox could make them. Spike strips did nothing, armor piercing ammo bounced off it like pebbles, and grenades managed to crack the glass after four blasts in tandem unless they exploded directly underneath the car which ultimately couldn't be armored without sacrificing the comfortably of the ride. According to Bruce the car also contained an automated .50 Caliber machine gun after a series of Bank Robbers used heavily armored sports cars to rob banks.

In other words, Bruce Wayne had the fastest tank in the world.

* * *

The drive to Adam Hunt's penthouse was quick when flying at two hundred mile per hour down side roads and the occasional main street. They'd parked in an alley two blocks away from Hunt's building and decided to walk the distance on rooftops to avoid detection. Getting into Hunt's building had been a bit more difficult than expected, apparently he'd alerted the police to their attempt on his life and was now under their protection.

With Uni's walking in and out of the building randomly Bruce and Oliver decide to make use of a fourth story balcony that had left it's door open. Climbing across on the busy street on a rope hadn't been what Oliver expected when it came to his first night fighting crime. The room's only occupant was luckily fast asleep when they entered his room and exited the front door entering the building and searching out the staircase.

They made quick work of the private security on Hunt's floor and found their way to Hunt's office. Bursting through the door without hesitation Oliver quickly put two arrows into Hunt's Head of Security and his personal bodyguard while Bruce marched purposefully toward Hunt spilling him backward over his desk.

"Please, don't kill me I'll return the money." the Bald coward begged as Bruce pulled one of the sharpened wings from his bracelet and held it to his throat.

"It's too late for that Mister Hunt." Oliver's voice was hidden by a built in voice changer similar to Bruce's own. "The money is already where it belongs." Bruce added helpfully as he pressed the blade further into Hunt's neck pricking him the tiniest bit and drawing blood.

"That's impossible." Hunt's astonishment was shut down as Oliver took Hunt's phone from his breast pocket and showed him his personal bank account. The bewilderment seemed to destroy Hunt as he slumped backward, resigning himself to his face. "He's going to kill me." The man seemed so resigned to his fate that Oliver was certain he would spill something about the Mask.

"Why?" Bruce asked, neither of the duo needed to confirm he was working for the Mask, the list had confirmed that. They had to find a connection to Tempest, something they could use to break apart this inner circle that the Mask kept so top secret.

"He made me steal the money, he threatened my family, my friends, my business." Hunt spilled hoping it would save him if he gushed all of his secrets. "I swear I didn't want to do it I just didn't have a choice." Bruce and Oliver both almost laughed as the man soiled his pants.

"Know what I find funny?" Bruce turned to face Oliver with a smirk on his face.

"What's that?" Oliver raised an eyebrow, he hadn't expected to be addressed during the interrogation.

"They never have a choice, destroy thousands of lives or die. No offense, but I'd prefer to die." Bruce growled angrily, he seemed to have a personal vendetta against Hunt from the frustration that roved off him in waves. "What is Tempest?" Bruce asked before delivering a swift punch to the man's kidney causing him to howl in pain.

"I-i I don't kn-Ah!" Hunt interrupted himself as Bruce broke the bottom most rib on the right with a punch. Oliver stood back and laughed as he watched Ra's Al Ghul's famed 'Sword of God' work. Legends were told on Lian Yu of Ra's Al Ghul's best student, Saifullah, able to best even Ra's Al Ghul himself in single combat which had been an impossible feet before him and paved the way for Oliver.

Hunt kept crying 'I don't know anything' as Bruce continued to break rib after rib. After the tenth rib shattered and his kidney was damaged likely to the point of failure he realized Bruce and Oliver intended to kill him unless he talked. However, sense made him fail to see that if he ratted out the Mask not only would he out live his purposefulness to the Mask but to Oliver and Bruce as well.

"Okay, okay okay. You want a name? Robert Queen." Just for saying the name Oliver sent an arrow through the man's palm. His howl of pain filled the office as he stared at the wound in horror. "Look at his close associates and good friends, he was the Leader of legal side of Tempest before they killed him." Because his information was basically useless Oliver stalked forward and jimmied the serrated arrow blade out of his palm causing as much damage as possible.

"He's all yours." Oliver nodded to Bruce as he left the room and left Bruce with a heavily protesting Adam Hunt.

* * *

Oliver laid in bed both ecstatic that he'd actually met Saifullah and horrified to find that it was Bruce Wayne.

Some of the stories he'd heard about Saifullah were truly amazing, one man versus eight elite assassins and winning with only mild cuts and bruises. Some stories on the other hand were truly gruesome. He had once coated a man in gasoline, played darts on his chest with Ra's Al Ghul and finished the game with a flaming dart to the still living man's private. In all honesty it was a gruesomely fitting death for the man responsible for hundreds of rapes and massacres. His Private Military had acted dishonorably all across the globe and it came as no surprise that he had appeared on the Leagues radar. But still the fact that his best friend could been so cold and heartless had made Oliver wary of his closest friend.

Finally deciding that sleep would do him know good he climbed out of his bed and wandered the house. He had chosen to stay at Bruce's that night convincing his family that they'd been having too good a time for Oliver to head home at a reasonable hour.

He wandered the halls aimlessly at first hoping to familiarize himself with the outer visage of the Bat-cave. The mansion itself was large and confusing and Oliver remembered comparing the house to the Luthor's mansion as a child. The layouts were entirely different but the decor and the masters of the homes were almost identical.

After passing Thomas' study for the fourth time Oliver decided a glass of water may help calm him and made his way toward the nearest kitchen. Oliver had found three kitchens beyond the one he'd known about for years and Oliver couldn't help but wonder just how much Bruce had hidden around the mansion.

As he neared the kitchen he found the lights on and voices floating out into the hallway as he turned the final corner to the hallway containing a kitchen.

"I mean he's cute but I can't imagine he'd like me." Felicity's voice caught his attention and his pace sped up for a moment before the reply came from the rooms other occupant and made him pause near the door.

"You'd be surprised by what Oliver likes." Selina's voice was so familiar she barely had to actually speak before he knew it was her. "He wasn't like the tabloids said before he disappeared, he sure as hell isn't like that now." Oliver's heart warmed a little as he heard his friend defend him, even slightly talk him up to the quirky blonde that had captured Oliver's attention.

"I never said he was," Felicity protested before pausing for a breath, "I mean I'm just scared, he could get annoyed with me, bored with our relationship, frustrated that I hate going out or realize that there are more beautiful women. All the things that lead to unhappy relationships and eventual heartbreak. I'm not sure I'm prepared for that." Felicity voiced her insecurities and for some reason Oliver decided that moment would be best to interrupt.

"How could someone bore of you Felicity?" Oliver wandered in with a practiced fake yawn like he'd just wandered into the kitchen without eavesdropping. "You're the most beautiful woman in the world."

Oliver hadn't realized that Felicity panicked internally when he entered and began reeling through all of the revelations since Selina had found her staring longingly into her mug of Hot Chocolate. Nor had he realized the effect his words had on her mental state. Just the reaffirmation of her beauty had sent her into a dream world where she imagined her perfect life if she ever managed to claim Oliver Queen as her own.

Meanwhile Oliver simply reached into the cupboard and retrieved a glass before filling it from the tap and walking out without a word. His work here had been done and he had no reason to further interrupt Felicity and Selina's sisterly bonding time. With a glass of water on hand Oliver wandered back to his room and managed to find his way to sleep before the sun rose.

* * *

The next morning Oliver found himself in the same Kitchen this time surrounded by his friends as they lazily ate plates of pancakes, eggs and bacon. With nowhere in particular to be everyone had been making causal conversation for the past half hour. Everything ranging from Felicity's life in Metropolis before moving out to Starling, to Selina's travel stories of different venues she robbed for what precious gem that sold for how much. Currently the top of conversation had fallen onto the Undertaking. More precisely, jokingly trying to guess what it could be.

Suggestions ranged from a plan to shower the city in teddy bears to screwing with the traffic lights as an evil plot to throw of drivers. Nothing was too silly and they rarely-ever touched on serious.

"What if he's going to through a huge party and invite the _whole _city!" Felicity smiled toward Oliver with an unusual glint in her eye that he recognized all too easily. She was day-dreaming about him so he smirked back and tossed a saucy wink at her before speaking.

"Maybe he's going to give up crime and vanish?" Oliver's comment was met with dead stares for a moment before the room howled in laughter. Everyone knew the Black Mask wouldn't just 'go away' a man like him had to be put down for the greater good.

"He could be buying everyone in Starling a Honda?" Felicity suggested with a shrug as she sipped her coffee entirely aware of the ludicrous stares she was receiving. "Not everyone wants a Lincoln or a Ferrari believe it or not." She met their stares with a fierce glare and Oliver was the first to crack a smile as her gaze met his. Her glare faltered for a second before she composed herself and went back to her nearly finished plate.

Selina had finished long before and was waiting for Felicity to finish so they could train again. She patiently nursed a coffee while making causal conversation already dressed in her workout outfit, likely to both Bruce. Luckily for Oliver Felicity seemed to like spending as much time as possible in pajamas and a t-shirt before Selina would drag her off to change.

They continued their jolly conversation about everything and anything that came up long after Felicity finished her food. Right up until the moment Selina's patience snapped like a twig. She dragged Felicity by the elbow toward her room to change, grasping a pressure point to ensure her cooperation they stalked off only to be seen later down in the Cave.

This was the moment Bruce turned to Oliver and spoke. "I'm going to ask Selina to marry me." Bruce had an unusual seriously determined look in his eye that left no room for doubt. He wasn't kidding. Oliver could imagine it so easily but as far as he knew they weren't even together.

"I honestly didn't know you were together." Oliver felt bad for saying it right after the marriage declaration but he couldn't help it.

"We're not, Selina's been hurt too many times to try with me. Uses the excuse that she doesn't want to lose me as a friend. So I decided it would be best to show my dedication with a proposal, then she'll finally take me seriously." Bruce admitted openly to his friend and he instantly forgot that he was talking to the infamous Saifullah and only saw his friend Bruce, concerned and afraid. Bruce had never been one to half love and he had told Oliver years before his disappearance about his Love for Selina.

"Wait, let her get comfortable with me being back. Give me a chance to talk some sense into her before you scare her off." Oliver joked, he knew even if Bruce proposed and Selina refused she would stick around until the day Bruce kicked her out. Bruce nodded as if Oliver needed his permission to tell her, either way he'd have warned her regardless of Bruce's silent threats or not.

* * *

He sat in the Bat-cave patiently as Felicity came down the elevator alone dressed in her workout outfit, alone. Leaving them in the Bat-cave with no Diggle, no Bruce nor Selina. Oliver smiled charmingly and Felicity stalked right past him to the ring. "Want to train?" Oliver asked curiously as she began strapping on the gloves and climbed in the ring.

"Selina will be down in a minute, you don't have to." Felicity tried to blow him off and prayed to god that it didn't appear that way. Its not that she didn't want his company it's that she didn't want to hit the guy she wanted to date.

"C'mon, beat me up." Oliver challenged with a wink as stripped his dress shirt, undershirt, tank top and loafers before he strapped on the gloves and joined her in the ring. He caught Felicity's gaze roaming his chest and couldn't help but cringe as he knew exactly which one he'd been looking at. The scars on his chest were a constant reminder that he was not the same person he had been, and never would be again, "Beat your frustrations out of me and I'll teach you how to control your emotions while fighting."

"I'm not frustrated." Felicity's perplexed tone told him otherwise. He could read it in the tightness of her shoulders, the pitch of her voice and the flash of shock in her eyes when he'd said it. She hadn't expected him to be able to read her so well and yet was oddly calmed by knowing that Oliver wanted to help her control her anger. He moved toward her and raised her gloves in a mock fighting stance. "I don't want to fight you." Felicity's timidly shy voice told Oliver more than he needed to know. She was scared.

"You're weak." Oliver said as her arms fell back to her sides limply. He realized that he was really going to have to offend her to help her. "You can't hit me, but I can hit you." He punched her in the stomach quickly while she was unprepared making her stumble backward into the ropes with fury and offense all over her face. She stepped forward angrily to yell at him and he feinted a punch to send her back stepping in fear.

"Don't give me a piece of your mind, give me your fist to the cheek." Oliver challenged ruthlessly as she backed her into the corner of the ring with his arms raised. "Hit me." Oliver commanded as he feinted another punch that she curled into a ball to avoid. Oliver sighed as he watched her glare up at him before he roughly pulled her to her feet. She wouldn't get stronger if he coddled her, he had to push her, make her want to be better.

"I saw how you fought Selina. You were graceful and determined, you had a goal and nothing could stop you from it. Where is that Felicity Smoak?" Oliver asked curiously as he stepped backward ready to start again. Felicity this time raised her fists angrily and tried for the same stance Selina had ingrained in her from the moment she agreed to train the spunky Blonde. "There she is." Oliver's devious smirk almost ruined the moment and the fury before he stepped forward to hit her and she countered with her own right hook.

Oliver was quick enough to dodge it but it was something. At least she was getting angry. Now it was time to rile her. "Swing faster." Oliver mocked as he dodge hook after jab after hook with an easy grin on his face as he obviously enjoyed dancing around the ring while Felicity chased him. She was following him tirelessly and Oliver knew it wouldn't be long before she was drained. "Hit me." He taunted as he dodged a particularly angry hay-maker.

"I'm trying." She growled as she lunged again this time. Oliver's grin only widened as he saw the feral look in her eyes before he stopped completely.

"Good, now. Why did you want to hit me?" Oliver asked as the anger slowly seeped out of her when she realized what he'd been doing.

"You taunted me." Felicity stated obviously, they both knew that.

"Right, and why didn't you hit me?" Oliver's mischievous glint hadn't really left it had just receded slightly. During their fight he had taken a moment to observe Felicity's sweat drenched body and his mind had wandered far far away from training. He'd almost gotten hit a few times because of it but he'd managed to dodge her punches and avoid pulling her to him and ravaging her on the sparring mats.

"You were moving to fast." Felicity grumbled angrily, she wasn't a sore loser but not even managing a single punch had irritated her beyond belief.

"No, you were to focus on hitting me to actually hit me." Oliver countered drawing a confused glare from her, Oliver continued as Felicity opened her mouth to counter him, "If you hadn't been so focused on ripping my face off you would have noticed that I left my legs and upper body completely exposed to you. One false punch aimed at my head and I wouldn't haven been able to block a shot to the stomach at the same time." Oliver revealed and Felicity's head recoiled as if the knowledge had hit her like a brick.

"It's alright, you didn't know you were doing it." Oliver smiled as he placed his hand on her shoulder cautiously and instantly felt the warmth of her skin. He had to resist the urge to kiss her with all of his might as he continued. "We'll continue tomorrow, for now I think Selina wants a turn." Oliver pointed to the small crowd of two superheroes that had sat by as the ever silent audience to their gladiatorial showdown.

"Alright." Felicity's small smile was too much for Oliver so he climbed out of the ring without a word and nodded in acknowledgement to Selina as she replaced him in the mats. It seemed that the Bat-family would be more than Oliver ever thought, it wasn't just some people trying to do good. It was a family that was determined to see their once righteous city prosper again.

* * *

Oliver was rolling into the Queen mansion just after dinner that night with a huge proposal on his part. Together he and the rest of the Bat-family decided that he would move into Wayne Manor and take up the role of Bruce's business protege to cover for his time spent at Bruce's estate. Oliver just hoped that his family would accept it if he promised to visit daily to check up on them.

Of course Oliver fully intended on learning the business portion of the deal. If one day he wanted to take over Queen Consolidated from Walter he would have to know what he was doing. He wanted a piece of his father to live forever and that piece would be his father's biggest legacy, the Company. Oliver liked to pride himself on being his Father's favorite thing in the world but he knew now, at the age of twenty four that his business had been Robert Queen's life's work.

He walked into the house purposefully, intent on seeking out his mother and step-father he found he didn't have to go far, they'd been awaiting him in the foyer as he came in.

"Mom, _Walter_." Nodded in acknowledgement of the duo as they shared a very serious look. Oliver knew this wasn't going to be a calm chat. He knew the look in Moira's eyes, she was prepared to deliver an ultimatum of some sort. However it was Walter who took the first step by opening his mouth.

"Oliver, your mother and I are very concerned. You spend all hours of the day at Bruce's and rarely come home and when you do it's for moments at a time to change or visit Thea and we can't stand for it any longer." Walter told her earnestly, the two men hadn't seen eye to eye at all. Oliver resented the man that seemed to try and replace his Father and though Walter seemed to understand that he too held a small grudge against Oliver.

"I'm glad you-" Oliver tried to explain his decision to the two but Moira steamrolled right over his words.

"We're concerned you aren't taking life responsibly. Until now everything's been handed to you, well now it's time to earn it." She seemed furious about something but Oliver couldn't place it. Walter on the other hand seemed to happy to reassure his wife with a tight squeeze on the shoulder. "It's time you take on a role at Queen Consolidated. That or lose your trust fund." She delivered the ultimatum with a sigh of relief. For her the hard part was over, now came Oliver's reaction.

"Actually, I was hoping you would let me stay with Bruce for the next few months. In the last few days I've been watching Bruce run Wayne Enterprises and he offered to take me under his wing." Moira and Walter both looked utterly surprised and conveniently relieved as they realized that Oliver had a genuine interest in Business and wouldn't see taking a role as an atrocious chore.

"That sounds wonderful. Bruce is a brilliant businessman, Oliver could learn a lot from him." Walter turned to an uncertain Moira who hadn't even tried to hide her obvious dislike of the idea. While she had always known that Bruce was an intelligent boy he was also prone to spontaneous outbursts of sporadic behavior. Oliver knew that was simply a show, a way to through off suspicions when Bruce Wayne had returned from his pilgrimage.

"Okay, you can go stay with Bruce and keep your trust but if you don't come around to visit often I will freeze your accounts." Moira said in a threatening voice full of motherly love, something that Oliver was often on the receiving end of and loved to hear again. "Now go see your sister, she's with her friends in her room." Oliver smiled, giving his mom a hug and a polite nod toward Walter as he walked off toward Thea's room.

She had stayed in the same room her whole life so it was easy to find. The same childish 'THEA' was painted on her door at waist height from when she wanted to mark the room at eight years old and couldn't be ignored. She made sure to use different colors for each letter and added random squiggly lines around the letters for some reason only an eight year old knew.

When he pushed open the door he noticed the lines of coke on the table Thea and her friend quickly covered with an open binder. Oliver took a second to observe the group, two boys and a girl. Both boys were tall, fit young men one with short brown hair and the other with wild black hair while the girl was a brunette with all of the physical requirements necessary to be a track star.

"Hey Speedy." Oliver smiled as Thea leaped into her arms with a grin on her face that quickly turned to a grimace.

"I always hated that name." She cringed as she turned back to her friends and sat between the brunet boy's legs.

"Well apparently it still applies." Oliver gestured to the binder that covered their coke and Thea cringed again. "What are you thinking Thea, coke can kill you, I would know." Before his disappearance Oliver had had issues with almost every party drug that existed. He smoked pot regularly, he did coke like it was the beverage and railed Ecstasy like it was Motrin. He knew what drugs were and how they would effect his sister. He would have no part of that.

"You're not my Dad." Thea glared angrily at him and Oliver quickly realized that her friends were glaring as well. Oliver wouldn't back down, he had killed dozens of men, some stupid teenagers wouldn't intimidate him.

"I'm just trying to help here Thea. I went through this before-" Thea's sharp laughed interrupted him and he stared curiously for a second before her rant started.

"You went through this? Yeah, did your dad and older brother die when you were twelve too, no? Maybe Mom closed herself in her room and forgot you existed for nearly two years, no? You have _no idea what I've gone through._" Thea sneered venomously and turned back to her friends and sat in the brunet boy's arms as tears welled up in her eyes. "Just go Ollie." Her voice held no secrets she was on the edge of breaking down and there was nothing Oliver could do to help. Without a word but a subtle glare toward the trio surrounding Thea he left the room.

It seemed he had left the room just in time for his phone to start buzzing in his pocket, pulling the phone from his pocket and swept the screen to accept the call. "Hello," Oliver said in a overly fake-cheerful tone as he hadn't taken the moment to look at the caller I.D. He really hoped it was Bruce or Selina so he could talk about Thea, he had to find a way to help his sister before she started to hate him.

"Hey Ollie, it's Tommy." Oliver cringed slightly, he loved Tommy and had been expecting his call but really wasn't in the mood to fake cheer and no doubt listen to Tommy and Laurel slam Bruce for 'encouraging the cruise' when in reality he hadn't even been aware Oliver was going until the day of.

"Hey Tommy, what's up?" Oliver started to make his way back toward his room to pack for Bruce's with his phone in hand. He hoped Tommy wouldn't bother him for too long, as much as he loved his old friend he really wanted to get packing out of the way.

"Laurel and I were wondering if you'd like to come to dinner tonight, it's been to long since we've seen each other." Tommy tried but Oliver could tell he didn't want to mention Bruce and by proxy Selina. They had drifted further than Oliver could have imagined in the last five years and now the pure hatred stained the air of any room the two entered together. Oliver had only truly felt it once but Bruce had told him of many awkward functions where he and Tommy would simply glare at each other and make hostile conversation with business partners.

"Yeah Tommy sounds great, when do you want me there?" He knew that he'd spend as little time as possible with Tommy, not because of the animosity between the two but simply because Tommy had changed far too much in the last few years. According to Bruce and Selina he'd poured himself into business and his relationship with Laurel, apparently not much existed outside of that.

"Laurel's saying dinner will be ready at five but you're welcome whenever." Oliver again cringed as he tried to think of a way to excuse him not wanting to go to Tommy's earlier than necessary before an idea came to him.

"Could I bring someone with me?" Oliver smirked mischievously as he pictured a certain blonde that fancied nice green dresses or tattered pajamas with no in between. He knew she would refuse profusely but he also knew that he couldn't suffer the night alone.

"Absolutely, we'd love to meet her." Tommy's arrogant wink was audible through the phone as Oliver smirked as he considered how he was going to convince a certain spunky blonde to accompany him to hell for the night. Oliver and Tommy said their good-byes and hung up simultaneously before Oliver finished packing as fast as possible. If he was going to convince Felicity to join him for dinner then he would need as much time as he could.

* * *

Felicity was relaxing on a couch in one of the dens when Oliver came in grinning and dressed in one of his nicer suits. She had her face buried in a fiction novel called 'The Secrets of Farmland Kansas.' by a girl named Chloe Sullivan and Oliver almost laughed at the vicious glare painted on her face. She looked so beautiful just curled in a ball on the couch with her book in hand that Oliver considered leaving her to her night before reconsidering at the thought of the night without her.

Clearing his throat to grab her attention she stared up at him curiously, it was obvious he wanted something from the way he stood and the look in his eyes as he smiled at her. "'Sup Ollie?" Felicity smiled easily as she replaced her bookmark and put the book down on the couch's arm. He was dressed well and that meant he was doing something important that night.

"Hey Felicity, how would you like to join me for dinner." Oliver asked curiously and Felicity's heart started pounding, she hadn't been expecting that question. All anyone ever asked of her was technical, she was never anyone's choice for a dinner date. "It's only at Tommy's, I just don't want to be alone." Oliver clarified as she took too long to respond and Felicity groaned internally. 'He just had to ruin the moment.'

"No." She said before picking her book back up and returning to it. Her cousin had told her that the book focused on a young reporter and her super best friend as they navigated a small town of supernatural freaks and in all honesty it was actually a great novel. Felicity wasn't willing to destroy her friendship with Bruce and Selina because Oliver didn't want to go to Tommy's alone.

"Felicity," Oliver said sadly making her look up at him and saw the small pout on his face as he made his way across the room, "Please, I don't know if I can handle Tommy, Laurel and all the animosity without someone there." Oliver's eyes were practically begging as he met her gaze. Oliver wasn't about to admit that he only wanted her too come, not just 'someone' but he wasn't looking to ruin the friendship they had for the sake of a potential date. He could bide his time and make her slowly fall in love with him if he was smart, he just had to play his cards right.

"_Fine."_ Felicity groaned in agony as she climbed off the couch and walked from the room ignoring her book, she trusted Alfred would put it somewhere she could find it. "But I am _not_ dressing up." Felicity warned with a fierce glare Oliver could only describe as sexy and left Oliver to himself in the room she'd been hanging out. With a quick text to Tommy he told him that Felicity was just getting ready and they'd be on their way.

After that Oliver glanced around the room and noticed the book she had been reading before he picked it up and cracked the first page yet making sure not to disrupt her bookmark. The book followed a girl named Sophie and her best friend Mark through their high school years as they dealt with various super-freaks that had been effected by a mysterious rock-like chemical found throughout the city.

He sat and read the book silently as he waited for Felicity to come back and found himself on the third chapter before he heard a soft throat clearing in the doorway that made him smirk. Felicity stood in front of him blocking the doorway dressed in a tight, sexy olive green dress that Oliver quickly decided was his favorite dress and he stood to greet her.

"My cousin can write huh?" Felicity smirked confidently from the door as Oliver nodded and rose slowly. Placing the book back where she'd originally left and and made his way across the room toward the stunning blonde blocking his only exit.

"You look beautiful." Oliver smiled as he kissed her cheek unable to resist and stood in front of her smiling lightly, "Ready to go?" Felicity nodded but took her time to maintain her cool after the kiss only to have her cool ripped from her when Oliver started to lead her through the house with his arm around her waist protectively. Felicity sighed silently beside Oliver as she realized that tonight would be long and painful.

* * *

Ten minutes later the driver promptly dropped them off in front of the building which held Tommy's pent house. Oliver and Felicity had made casual conversation about her cousin who happened to be Chloe Sullivan, and her book. Oliver had only read the first few pages of the book but he was enraptured by the amount of personality and detail she'd put into the book. Most of the books that Oliver had read before his disappearance were bland and lacking in substance but Chloe's book had him eager to find a bookstore and grab himself a copy.

The easy flowing conversation came to a dead stop as the car pulled to a stop out front of Tommy's building. The reality of the situation hit them both at the same time, not only would they have to go make similar conversation inside, they would have to accept Tommy and Laurel's hatred for Bruce. Felicity swallowed nervously as Oliver reassured her with a small squeeze of her hand.

Oliver had taken her hand as the car came to a stop and Felicity nearly started to hyperventilate from nervousness. Felicity was scared of embarrassing herself in front of two of Oliver's close friends and causing a further rift between the two old friends. She cared about Oliver and wanted him to be happy, and if that meant entertaining company that hated one of her best friends she would damn well try.

As they climbed from the car Oliver refused to let go of her hand, instead entwining their fingers and leading her toward the large, mainly glass building with a reassuring smile on his face. Oliver couldn't believe that Felicity hadn't put up half of the fight he'd imagined she would. Maybe he'd take her on a true date someday to make up for saving his ass in this situation.

The elevator ride was slightly disturbing as the rode in total silence still holding hands. When the long anticipated bell dinged signalling they'd reached the penthouse floor they marched out confidently with their hands wrapped in each others and headed for Tommy's penthouse. They knocked once before the door flew open to Tommy Merlyn grinning happily at his oldest friend.

"Ollie!" He pulled Oliver into a tight 'bro-hug' before acknowledging Felicity for the first time with a bright grin and a soft hug, "Well, this is the beauty that's kept Ollie away from me for the past few days." He half-joked as he welcomed the duo into his posh two story apartment. The perks of being a billionaire it seemed. The fresh smell of turkey, potatoes and steamed vegetables attacked the new arrivals making their stomachs growl in appreciation for the meal ahead.

"Dinner will be ready in ten minutes." Laurel smiled at the duo as she emerged from a room that appeared to be a kitchen that connected to the den Tommy had lead them to. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and sat comfortably beside him snuggling into him. Oliver and Felicity hadn't made physical contact since Oliver dropped her hand to hug Tommy and Oliver had regretted it. He could use her proximity to help keep him calm and smiled as she leaned her head against him comfortably while engaging Laurel in some polite conversation.

By the time dinner had come and gone the four had made nice conversation for nearly two hours likely thanks to the wine served with dinner. Bruce and Selina had only been mentioned once when Laurel had asked how Oliver and Felicity had met and they took the answer gracefully without souring the mood. When Oliver and Felicity were finally ready to go they found themselves sitting comfortably with Oliver's arm wrapped around Felicity's shoulder while she cuddled into the crook of his arm.

With the Driver waiting downstairs the duo stood reluctantly and were walked toward the exit with Tommy and Laurel whom decided to walk them to the Elevator.

"Thank you so much for dinner, it was fantastic Laurel." Felicity smiled, she liked Laurel besides the fact that she hated her best friend for protecting Oliver and Tommy and Oliver had learned a lot from each other in the last few hours. Tommy was offering Oliver business tips and suggesting various changes for Oliver to input that should increase Wayne Enterprises productivity by at least four percent. Meanwhile Laurel and Felicity decided that business talk was boring found that the one was just as well versed in various books and the law as the other and allowed conversation to flow.

"It was no problem, you have my number, feel free to text me any time." Laurel smiled happily as Tommy and Oliver exchanged good-byes and let the elevator doors close.

"No way it was that bad." Felicity said as she watched Oliver visibly relax now that they were alone in the elevator. He simply glanced over at her and smiled tiredly, as he put his hands on her hips and pulled her toward him. Felicity tried to think of a reason to explain why his hands were on her hips and then why she hadn't removed them as landed there.

"It wasn't, but business talk is quite draining in my opinion." Oliver admitted as he drew her even closer to him and put on of his hands on her face to cup her cheek. Felicity's heart fluttered as Oliver's eyes filled with desire, lust and something foreign that she hadn't seen any time he'd looked at her before. Oliver smirked as he watched Felicity fluster under his grip and leaned down to kiss her. Just as their lips were less than an inch from each other the elevator dinged and the door slid open to allow the interrupting occupant to enter the elevator.

The duo separated quickly as the man stepped into the elevator and allowed the doors to close behind him. The two sat in awkward silence as the elevator rolled down the remaining floors to the ground. Oliver considered pushing the man back out of the elevator before the door closed, taking Felicity in his arms and ravaging her like a beast but decided quickly that wouldn't end well for either of them.

Finally exiting the elevator that seemed to last forever the two sped walked toward the car that waited for them out front and climbed in wordlessly. The ride back had been quiet, neither said a word to the other though Oliver could imagine a million things to say he knew that Felicity wanted this moment to gather her thoughts. His pressing wouldn't help his case at all so he settled back into his seat for ride back to Bruce's house.

* * *

**_Well what did you think? Double chapter one and you get this, the beginning of the Arrow's career, the end of Adam Hunt's, a bit of insight into both Bruce and Oliver's training and lets not forget the romance ;) So originally I was aiming for around 5-6k again, but then the idea for a dinner at Tommy's struck me and I had to go with it, I couldn't bring myself to break this chapter up into two._**

**_The next chapter brings the Lone Gunman and a bit more of Felicity's back story and how she came into the Bat-Family. If you liked this chapter let me know by following the story, favoring it and as always reviewing if you have anything you'd like for me to know or if you'd like some questions that you want answered in the next installment of this series.  
_**

**_Until next time! Remember, you're what fuels my love for this story, your reviews, your follows and your favorites._**


	3. Chapter 3

**_First off I would like to thank each of you for your support of this story and all of the positive feedback and secondly apologize, according to Philip363 and Highlander348 because I posted my original three chapters and removed them anyone whom reviewed the original version wasn't able to review the updates. Hopefully after this chapter all will be back to normal and reviews will work properly, if not I'll seek administrative help._**

**_I love that everyone agrees Oliver's become a bit of a pansy in the 2nd and 3rd seasons because I will never change his MO. He will always be a ruthless killer with a good side, though Bruce and Selina may change it up, we'll see how time effects their Fighting Styles (You'll just have to see if its for better or for worse.) _**

**_This is the long awaited chapter for some of you for the sake of this chapter Curare can't be cured by Oliver's magical herb. This episode will focus more on Bruce and Selina's crime fighting while Felicity, Diggle and Oliver grow ever so closer. Now, onto the review responses._**

_**Highlander348: You're just going to see what happens now aren't you? Maybe they'll be the Teen Titans or maybe separate into the Bat-fam and the Arrow-team. For certain it won't happen soon and maybe because I can I'll make the Teen Titans happen in a sequel just to annoy you. **__**About Chloe, Yes, she, Lex and Lionel Luthor will appear in the series but no, Chloe will not be Watchtower, she will continue to co-ordinate the Heroes just not for that post or with that name. Lex will also be entirely good though still a ruthless businessman. He's been trusted with Clark's secret from S1 of Smallville on and held it dearly since. As for Catwoman, this episode should give you a taste of her abilities, hopefully that satisfies you and that you enjoy Selina's style!**_

**_DoubleDee068: I'm glad you liked the date and the rest of the Romance. You should enjoy this chapter quite a bit in my opinion._**

**_Also, I don't remember who and I can't find the review but someone mentioned something about a lack of Oliver, Diggle and Felicity interaction and I have to apologize. Diggle is largely useless to me in this story and is only there because I enjoy his dry, sarcastic humor in tough situations. He'll be a bit more prominent toward the end of the story but don't expect a ton of Diggle here._**

**_This is just a shout out to Philip363 because what started as a PM'd review has quickly become an entertaining friendship that's constantly giving me new ideas and ways to go about certain interactions.  
_**

**_If anyone that wants to talk I'm open to it, just hit my PM box and know that I've not seen a majority of Smallville nor Arrow past season 1. All of my knowledge of any events subsequent are via Wikia or other fiction's spoilers so there may be minor plot holes in some of the Smallville references I make and if you point them out I'll fix them asap._**

**_Now, onto the Lone Gunman._**

* * *

"James Holder. You have failed this city." Oliver's arrow was notched and at full tension as Bruce and Selina surrounded the ex-businessman from either side.

They stood on the open rooftop connected to Holder's penthouse with Holder's men dead or nearly so surrounding them. Two men floated in the pool drowned, another had a bottle smashed into his face, a third had been pinned to the bathroom door with an arrow to the sternum. The air reeked of blood, alcohol and gun powder from all of the bullets Holder's body guards missed.

Needless to say, James Holder was screwed with a one way ticket to hell.

"Please, I don't know who's in Tempest. I swear, I reported to-" James was interrupted by the whistle of a silenced bullet that pierced his heart perfectly. Oliver swore under his breath, quickly easing his bow's tension and pulling Holder behind cover while Bruce scanned the buildings with his cowl's heads up display. Holder gasped and coughed violently as Oliver held the dying man trying to coax a name from the man's last moments.

"Got him, fifty seventh story of the old Starworks Hotel." Bruce announced as Oliver dropped the man who finally fell to his final rest without a word. Oliver reached into his quiver for an arrow while Selina and pulled the zip line from her belt. With the wire attached and the arrow notched Oliver sent his shot to the exact window Bruce had pointed out. With the shot snagging through the window Oliver tied the rope around a support beam of the reinforced canopy clipped on his belt and slid across the open city gap quickly followed by Selina and Bruce.

None dared to look down as the sounds of racing traffic that failed to notice the on goings above them floated up to their ears. Slipping across and into the open window the trio scanned the open floor for any evidence of a shooter. There were plastic tarps hanging randomly from the ceiling providing easy cover for the mysterious assassin to disappear. Oliver and Selina quickly took to searching the rest of the floor while Bruce searched for an indication of the man's identity or whereabouts near his firing point.

Selina and Oliver quickly split up and cautiously made their ways through the tarps to find the shooter. When shots rang out barely missing Oliver he fired arrow after arrow in the direction the shots had come from while Selina and Bruce ran toward where the loud bullets rang out from. As they finally traced the shots they found a Beretta pistol step up on a remote tripod and this time silenced rounds barely registered their attention.

While Bruce and Selina found the tripod the mysterious assassin came up behind Oliver with his rifle raised. Oliver had moments to react before the shot rang out and pierced his shoulder easily. Oliver had faced much worse injuries and barely let the burning pain flood him with adrenaline as he quickly countered the assassin blow for blow with his bow while knocking him around slightly.

Before Oliver was able to subdue the assassin the man fired another round into Oliver's thigh. This time the burning sensation from both wounds was too much for the tortured archer as he dropped to the ground writhing in pain. With his work done the assassin disappeared just as Bruce and Selina slid from the tarps and found Oliver shivering violently.

Bruce stopped to check on Oliver while Selina tore off after the Assassin who'd vanished through the tarps. Bruce picked up his friend and threw his arm over Bruce's shoulder as he led him toward the exit to get him back to the Cave to be patched up. Bruce trusted that Selina would be able to track the Assassin down. She was by far the best tracker he'd ever met.

* * *

"How the hell'd happened?" Felicity shouted as the Bat-mobile rolled into the cave and Bruce extracted a now sweaty and shivering Oliver and deposited him on the examination table. They had removed his hood and he had long since sweated off the green paint around his eyes. Felicity took to removing his suit the moment Bruce stepped back to let Diggle examine his wounds.

"An assassin killed Holder just as he was about to talk, we went after him and Oliver found him." Bruce summed up the night quickly for the duo before he sat back and watched the scene unfold. They had been in an internal panic since the moment they found Oliver laying on the ground bleeding.

The moment the suit was unzipped and his chest was bare to the world Felicity gasped in shock. His shoulder would was covered in blood mixed with a slimy green substance and they could easily guess the leg wound looked similar. The group was no stranger to poison so Bruce quickly set out to track the Assassin with Selina and find the proper poison while Felicity and Diggle focused on sustaining Oliver until they could synthesize and antidote.

Oliver barely managed a pained gasp as Felicity tried to clean his wound. Most poisons didn't take long to take full effect but Bruce knew about Oliver's training, and that he'd survived worse poisons than the one in him now. The League didn't account for failure and neither would Bruce, Oliver _had_ to survive. That was the only thought on the billionaire's mind as he climbed back into the Bat-mobile and sped out toward Starling.

"Don't die Oliver. Please don't die." Felicity smiled sadly at the sweaty mess of a Hero on the table in front of her while Diggle removed the rest of his suit and started to clean his other wounds. Felicity could only hope that Bruce and Selina would find the cure in time when Oliver's attempt at a smile fell into a pained grimace before his eyes rolled back and he fell unconscious.

* * *

_Oliver's training had been going well since his canonization. He'd taken to the blades almost as naturally as he had the bow. The young, innocent castaway that had arrived on Lian Yu was long gone, forever replaced by the hardened survivor the past years had made him. His time fighting against Fyers' plans were trying, surviving Ivo's captivity was arduous but now, living under Ra's Al Ghul's reign was hellish._

_Broken bones, vicious torture and months of indoctrination had bred the perfect weapon, the expert Assassin known as The Green Arrow. B__efore his complete inauguration to the League Oliver had to survive one final test, a deadly poison called VX. A popular nerve agent used by Governments in Chemical Warfare and a United Nations verified WMD. Ten milligrams proved fatal to the human body._

_The League's final test had Oliver knocked unconscious and left in a enclosed cell on their only ship. Each hour a half cup of water was placed in the room containing One milligram of VX. Should Oliver refuse to drink, five-hundred gas would be emptied into the room via closed circuit ventilation system. So, like all other trainees, Oliver drank down the cups and let his health decline. By the sixth cup most trainees' could barely sit up straight and yet Oliver remained standing. He refused to succumb after all that he'd been through._

_After everything he'd done with Slade, with Shado, with Anatoly. After all that he'd endured from Ra's Al Ghul Oliver refused to become a body tossed on the shore without a thought. He would be a survivor, a legend, a hero._

_The room was an off-white cream color with nothing, no bed, no chair nor a window, just Oliver. His head freshly buzzed, his beard completely removed and dressed in medical scrubs. He knew that he would have to fight to survive, this was not a test for the weak. Like the Mirakuru it was as much a test of character as it was a test of strength._

_The agent started with profuse sweating and uncontrollable muscle twitches and as the dosage increased became violent sickness and intense nausea. As the dosage rose higher Oliver was unable to stop his nose from pouring and was barely able to draw full breath. When all hope seemed lost, and Oliver's vision began to fail at the height of the ninth milligram before the final milligram was administered he found himself drawing slow breathes and seeing only memories as the sounds around him faded._

_He believed himself lost with no point left. He had failed his father. He had failed Sara. He failed Shado and barely defeated Slade. His thoughts turned dark as he realized that he might not be the hero he'd hoped to become. He was nothing anymore, nothing but a faceless body on the dunes of a lost island when finally the light came back and so did a pleasant voice echoing in his ears, the words unregistered but still effective.  
_

* * *

Bruce followed Selina's directions and found her perched cautiously on the rooftop of an apartment building staring down into a loft window when he approached and crouched beside her. Selina had tracked the assassin to a low rent apartment building in the Glades where he was staying in the unused loft. The streets around them screamed of crimes waiting to happen or already happening but the duo had to override their heroic instincts and save their friend first.

Without this poison a cure was impossible and that meant a slow and possibly agonizing death for Oliver. Neither Selina nor Bruce would let that happen if they had a choice.

Selina filled Bruce in on the Assassin's moves from leaving the high rise to parking a block away and walking with a briefcase in hand. The man was in appearance was an average looking thirty something year old with short brown hair and light stubble. She had managed to snag a decent picture of him with a thousand yard stare that could kill a small animal just from the sight of it. It did little to deter Bruce or Selina from the plan they'd been forming until the rooms lights went out.

Unsure if the Assassin had left or gone to bed considering the early morning hour the duo decided it was better to act sooner than later and return to Oliver too late. Selina slunk down the pipes of the alley quickly and across the empty street while Bruce watched silently from the rooftops in case she was attacked. She made it to the adjacent alleyway without detection and Bruce quickly followed choosing to glide across the streets with his cloak-glider.

Selina silently crept up the pipes along the alley she'd run to while Bruce perched silently on the rooftop of the mysterious assassin's loft apartment. He was peaking silently into the ceiling windows as Selina silently crept toward him.

"He's home." Bruce confirmed without turning back to Selina. She had taken an annoyed stance with her hands on her hips as she waited impatiently for Bruce's go ahead to sneak in and kill the man. "And awake." This came as a surprise Selina and Bruce both. What kind of assassin sat in the dark in front of a computer just as they'd executed a target.

"Shit." Selina cursed as she stepped forward and noticed the rifle propped up directly beside him. She had no doubt that one small noise would bring the gun to the man's shoulder, ready to fire in moments.

The assassin sat silently at his small, untraceable computer connected to the deep-web typing furiously. He seemed to be growling at the screen from the way he continued to anxiously tap the desk and glare at the computer screen. He didn't seem to be getting the news that he wanted and that meant good things for them. Anger was easy to manipulate, especially a gunman. A few tiny speakers that would amplify Selina's voice could be tossed in the open window and drive the man insane. If the man's gun was trained on the direction of the voices he wouldn't notice the two dark figures slinking into his makeshift house.

And that's exactly what they did, Selina tossed the tiny little gifts from Lucius into the room and smiled as she thought of taunts.

"Hey, you call yourself a professional assassin!" Selina's voice echoed from where one of the speakers landed on the bed. Lucius had been careful when creating the devices, a connector in her belt had to be pressed to activate the device. Like a blue tooth Oracle was then able to select the nearest speaker and connect it. Luckily Diggle had taken a momentary break from Oliver to assist them when they called back to the Cave.

It was time to get Oliver his cure or die trying.

* * *

Felicity never once considered climbing into her chair and helping Bruce and Selina, not with the way Oliver was shivering and shaking from fever and anguish. She simply couldn't leave him thought Alfred assured her there was nothing he could do. He'd long since been stripped down to his boxers and laid on the operating table. Alfred stood silently beside Dig as he monitored Bruce and Selina's infiltration of the Assassin's loft. The duo had resigned themselves to helping Oliver more actively while Felicity chose to stubbornly cling to his hand.

Felicity blocked the image of Bruce and Selina fighting the man responsible from her mind as she looked down at Oliver. What if one of _them _were also shot? What if _both _of them were shot and the Assassin managed to escape? Felicity would have no one but John and Alfred, and as much as she loved her cousin Chloe she couldn't move to Metropolis and feed off of Lex Luthor's money. Sure Bruce took care of her and made sure she had money for whatever she needed but that was in exchange for her work as Oracle, she couldn't be Oracle if Bruce died on the job. A job she was currently ignoring in favor of watching the man that had quickly captured her attention cringe, toss and turn as he begin to suffocate.

Just after Bruce had arrived as Selina's location Oliver's lungs began to collapse. Alfred wasted no time connecting the breathing mask to the still unconscious Billionaire ex-Playboy. That sight of Oliver with a breathing mask and a heart monitor had terrified Felicity. Not only did Oliver not have the ability to breath on his own but it meant that his body was beginning to shut down.

She didn't know what to do or how she was supposed to help Oliver. Diggle had taken over her position on the computer when she couldn't find the will to move and now that she could move she found she didn't want to. The Blonde Genius quickly considered how she would help her fellow Blondy and soon found herself sitting comfortably on a chair from the Study. Alfred had brought it down a long while ago and she'd ignored its existence until her calves began to burn from constant standing and pacing.

Now she sat silently with Oliver's limp hand wrapped tightly in Felicity's strong grip simply willing the man to survive the ordeal. He wasn't allowed to die yet. Oliver hadn't survived five years literally in Purgatory just to die in his first month back. She just couldn't help herself as a tear began to fall as she thought about Oliver's pain and suffering at the hands of this Assassin. Part of her hoped Selina would shoot him with his own bullets just so he could feel the pain himself.

* * *

_Oliver's days were what some considered nightmares. He spent his days training with the League avoiding thoughts of Sara, Shado and most of all Slade. Sara had meant the world to him, he had thought she was the only woman he could love. Shado had become his impromptu sister while Slade had become his brother, his mentor and his best friend. Shado's death haunted him, Sara's death had scarred him and Slade's betrayal had destroyed him._

_Any remnants of Oliver Queen, Playboy Trustifarian with more notches on his belt than he could remember were dead. Out of Slade's betrayal bred a new Oliver Queen, one who was determined to fight, survive and live to better the world. His purpose, his focus was to destroy men like Fyers' and Ivo before they could destroy more lives and that's what Ra's had been preparing him for._

_He either spent his time practicing his shot, barefoot free-running, doing combat training or all of the above together. Of the five recruits that had been 'chosen' only Oliver had survived the final test and he that made him determined to survive the harshest trainings, endure the most brutal beatings. There was not a thing Ra's could do to deter Oliver's path. He was set on becoming the best Assassin the League had ever seen and was quickly accomplishing that fact._

_"Ollie." A smooth voice interrupted his thoughts as he ran through the jungle. He was in the midst of training and his vision began to blur just as an Assassin jumped out in front of him.  
_

_"Oliver, please wake up." The voice pleaded again and Oliver felt the familiarity in the tone. For a moment he remembered Sara but her voice didn't sound like that. She had been more serious, less girly in the days before her death. She wouldn't have taken the tone of voice that begged for him silently._

_"You need to wake up Oliver." The voice again repeated but this time the tears infiltrated her words and made Oliver stop for a moment. Who would be crying for him? He wasn't someone people should care for he was a monster, an Assassin and a damned good one._

* * *

Bruce and Selina had chased off the Assassin but failed to kill him. Taking his rifle and laptop he escaped into the night luckily leaving behind a second briefcase hidden under the bed that contained vials of the poison and thankfully an antidote. At break neck speeds the duo flew towards Wayne manor, more precisely the hidden water-fall entrance a mile away that acted as a garage door.

With purposeful strides the two slid out of their car and toward Oliver and a weeping Felicity. When she heard their approach she stepped back quickly and wiped her eyes dry. She was pretending to play strong for her companion and neither would dare comment on her tear stained cheeks.

"Did you get it?" Felicity tried to ask without too much emotion and obviously failed miserably when Selina gave her a quick, pitying glance before nodding and opening the unnoticed brief case beside Oliver's head and extracting a small vial of a viscous green liquid. Alfred stepped forward and quickly took the bottle and filled a syringe before pressing to remove the air bubbles.

With a quick yet precise jab to the carotid artery Alfred injected the antidote and removed the needle. "Should be 'bout an hour 'fore he wakes." Alfred reminded the people surrounding the table while he and Diggle stood by the computer screen and monitored street cams for the Assassin.

The wait was killing them. For fifty-six minutes Felicity, Selina and Bruce paced back and forth, swore like sailors and curse all deities for allowing Oliver and thus vicariously the trio to endure such torment. The last four minutes were spent in hushed silence sitting around Oliver's bedside waiting for him to wake up. Over the past hour his body had begun to improve, first the fever passed then the sweating stopped followed by Oliver regaining the ability to breathe himself.

His body was already well on the recovery path and they were certain it wouldn't take long for him to fully recover. Bruce had reassured them that Oliver had survived worse than the poison which they discovered was called Curare but Felicity had assumed he was just trying to ease her obvious nerves. There was no way she was going to survive the teasing that would follow Oliver's survival and awakening but at the moment she couldn't find a care in the world. All that mattered in that moment was Oliver's survival.

With that thought in mind Felicity reverted into herself and began to consider her feelings for the kind, polite, mysterious Archer that had recent invaded her life. How could she feel so deeply for a man that she barely knew and had only been out with once, as friends. Sure that night had been extremely unorthodox but so was Oliver himself, for all Felicity knew the man considered that a date.

Felicity sat in silent contemplation with her hand and Oliver's tightly intertwined as she waited for her Archer to open his eyes. Whatever was between them didn't matter at that moment, they could figure it out once he woke up.

* * *

Oliver didn't know where he was, how he'd gotten there or why he was there but he knew that he was extremely uncomfortable and the lights above him were too bright. With a long groan from the lingering pain in his shoulder and thigh Oliver tried to sit up only to be pushed back down gently. That's when he noticed Selina, Bruce and Felicity crowded around him and Alfred and Diggle wandering over slowly and a gentle hand wrapped in his on Felicity's side of the table.

"Mornin' Sunshine, have a nice nap?" Bruce grinned cheekily earning a hard cuff on the head from Selina. The Model-looking Brunette glared the fiercest daggers Oliver had ever seen at her Raven-haired counterpart before turning to Oliver with a teary eye. "We thought you were going to die for a while there."

Well, Oliver had to admire the honesty as he let out a soft chuckle before turning his head to the familiar Blonde that had so thoroughly captured his attention.

She looked terrible, yet beautiful at the same time. Her hair, usually pulled in a tight ponytail was half pulled out of the hair-tie and framed her face beautifully. Her deep cerulean blue eyes were blood shot and her cheeks were stained from tear tracks but the look she gave him was one of pure relief and adoration. It was a look Oliver never wanted to fade. Her clothes were disheveled, her skirt was creased from constantly standing, sitting, pacing and leaning against the operation table. Her shirt was obviously the only thing she had to wipe her tears with from the slightly dry wet patches in her neck line.

Not only did she look beautiful amid the unkempt appearance, but she looked like an entirely separate person from the well-kept tech genius Bruce had boasted. She looked like she, _cared_, about_ him_, and that gave him hope. Maybe he wasn't lost, maybe not all of him died on Lian Yu like he'd so previously thought.

Maybe. Just maybe he stood a chance at having some semblance of a normal life. Well as normal a life as the heir of Queen Consolidated and night-time Vigilante could.

* * *

Oliver was up and wandering before the hour was up. Though the Bat-family was able to convince him to take it easy and rest inside Wayne Manor he did so begrudgingly and with as much fuss as possible. Fuss that his impromptu care-giver Felicity refused to stand for. After wandering back into the den and finding Oliver doing push ups for the fourth time Felicity forced him to lay on the couch with the remote beside him and herself seated at the edge of the couch with his feet across her lap.

It was an oddly intimate position for the girl that was 'supposed' to be his nurse. Had it been anyone other than Felicity Oliver would have continued to fuss and bother but Oliver couldn't chance annoying her. She was the only woman he knew that would openly accept him for who he was, hell she already had.

Oliver was growing bored of the limitless channels that Bruce's TV offered, they'd gone through everything: Four separate Crime Scene Investigation dramas, two hospital soap operas, a hockey game, a high school drama, a sci-fi action drama and the various history-based dramas. It was that day that Oliver decided he hated television unless it was the news reporting the latest major crime committed by the Black Mask's organization.

They'd stumbled across one anchor, a girl named Lois Lane reporting on the Black Mask's connection to the Starling dock's corruption scandal and Oliver had turned the TV up louder to hear. Her report mentioned a man named Martin Summers who allegedly took money from the Mask to allow Guns, Drugs and People to pass through his dock unregistered but the Police had been unable to connect him or the Mask to the crime.

"Well, I guess we have our next target." Oliver grinned at Felicity who turned to him with a pointed look that told him she was serious.

Oliver had meant it jokingly assuming they'd be choosing from the list like they did with Holder and apparently before his arrival but if Felicity was serious about taking down Summers the rest of the family had no choice. Not only could Felicity single handedly _make_ the Family take out whomever she wanted by sheer willpower, but she could convince them to do it voluntarily as long as she provided a decent reason that included the List or Crime with evidence.

"I should probably go tell Bruce." Oliver tried to climb off the couch before Felicity could stop him but the Smartest Person the young Archer had ever met seemingly anticipated his actions and locked her arms around his waist and yanked him back onto the couch beside her.

"Not today, Oliver." Felicity said as she put a hand firmly on his chest to stop him, and maybe, just a little feel the muscles under his shirt that she'd seen so often recently. Felicity thought hard for a moment, considering the best ways to hold him to the couch Felicity quickly ruled out option after option as ridiculous or illogical before one finally came to mind. It was sort of all or nothing, either he accepted it or rejected it and her in the same action. She, Felicity Smoak, was going to cuddle with Oliver Queen.

Oliver spend that time admiring Felicity's beautiful, perfect features. The soft contours of her face, her beautiful, bright red lips, the way her hair fell naturally over her shoulder. She'd taken the ponytail out as soon as Oliver had frustrated her to the point where she now chose to sit with him and restrain him to the couch. Oliver couldn't help but feel like he was staring at the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. But she wasn't just attractively beautiful, she was the type of beautiful that had seen the dark parts of his soul. She witnessed him _murder_ dozens of people, most _Criminals, _but still People and chose to continue to help him, and Bruce and Selina obviously.

When her body crashed down softly against his Oliver was in a state of shock where his body went tense. He couldn't really believe that Felicity had chosen to lay with him. That in itself told him more than he'd ever thought he'd know about Felicity's feelings. When she decided to climb back up after a minute of Oliver's body staying tense his hands shot to her waist and held her still.

"Sorry, it's been a long time since I was cuddled, I'm okay, promise." And Felicity felt like the biggest idiot in the world, she hadn't taken into account he was diagnosed with PTSD or the fact that he was unused to people getting close to him for long periods of time.

She simply remembered the way his arm wrapped around her comfortably at Tommy's and she wanted to feel that again. So she fell down again, this time much more apprehensively before coming to rest on Oliver's rough, muscled chest. She shifted slightly until she was comfortable and able to see the TV as Oliver surfed through the three-hundreds of the nine hundred channels. She didn't care what they watched as long as she got to stay cuddling Oliver.

That was how Oliver woke early that morning from possibly the deepest sleep he'd had since before the Island. After his first week on Lian Yu Oliver had forgotten what a decent sleep honestly felt like. Waking from the best rest he'd had in almost five years he noticed the unfamiliar yet welcome weight on his chest and waist. With a quick glance Oliver recognized the blonde mess of hair and realized that he and Felicity had slept together on the couch, fully clothed.

He simply smiled down at her as she slept and began combing her hair behind her ear to let him see her face. The young Billionaire was content to admire the beautiful woman in his arms as he hoped this would happen more often. She had lulled him into the deepest sleep he'd ever had, that in itself was an invaluable trait.

One that Oliver was sure he'd never take advantage of. No, Oliver was going to be all in with Felicity Smoak. He wouldn't give up until she allowed him to give him everything he had to offer. He would never go back to being the guy that dated a girl, and her sister at the same time. Never again, playboy Oliver had died on the Queen's Gambit, and the New Oliver for once, was thankful for his time on the Island.

It gave him a chance with her because it had made him grow up. Perhaps a bit too much considering his new night job, but still, without his 'new job' he never would have _met _the girl resting in his arms.

* * *

_**Well Folks, there's chapter 3, the Lone Gunman. I'm sorry it takes so long to post these chapters, I wrote three drafts of Fights with Floyd and hated them all, one between Bruce, Selina, and Lawton, one between Oliver and Lawton and one between Oliver, Lawton and Bruce, and they all sucked. I also struggled to write the Nerve Gas scene. idk why I was so intent on writing it, I guess felt it gave the League a bit of a sinister edge.**_

_**Sorry, I was feeling a tad fluffy while writing the chapter. I promise the next chapter will be action-packed.**_

_**For the Olicity fans lemme know what you thought of this chapter, I want to know if I'm doing it right. Romance is one of my weaker genres.**_

_**So what do you guys think review and let me know? I know Selina still hasn't really fought anyone, but Oliver and her are going on Patrol in the next chapter so expect a fight or two there, and they may or may not discover a new Vigilante duo and they could or could not fight them, depends on my mood ;**__**)**__** ALSO! Bruce and Oliver ponder Oliver's new business while Lex Luthor and Chloe Sullivan stop in for a small cameo to talk business and visit family!  
**_

_**So, if you liked this chapter and the ones before do me a favor, Follow, Favourite and Review!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note: So, I'm really sorry it's been so long, I was drowning in school work until Friday afternoon. I had four projects, two essays, **__**two tests **__** and a speech last week. You can't really blame me for not having time to update, I'm sorry to say it will probably happen again around June, if this story isn't over by then. **_

_**In all honesty, I have noooo clue when this story will end. I'm writing it from a summary I have on my Google Docs just stopping each chapter where I think is best. Yeah, my goal for this story is about 20-30 chapters but I don't know how long it'll be to get there. I might cut short to about 20, but if I do they'll be loong freaking chapters.**_

_**Anyway, this chapter came about in the last two days. I had the first bit for more than a week, sat on it, re-drafted it five times and came out with a total of 2k words before I sat down yesterday and pumped out six thousand words, and against another two thousand today**_

_**I kinda felt that the transitions in this chapter were a little off, but I really couldn't do much better without re-writing parts of the scenes.**_

_**Anyway, onto replies!**_

_**Highlander348: Felicity will have a bit more active role later on but you'll have wait and see what happens. ;)**_

_**To the masses: I'm glad the Olicity fans are enjoying the moments, sorry, you may be disappointed with his chapter. There's a distinct lack of Olicity, but the next chapter will have a Gala of Olicity-fluff. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it took me a while to get the gears rolling, but they kicked into overdrive from this chapter.**_

_**I'd like to think this is the real, beginning of the story, where things will get interesting. This chapter introduces the most of the Bat-family. **_

_**Please, enjoy.**_

* * *

Felicity woke up to the comfiest pillow in the world and the most soothing pattern being drawn on the small of her back. She was in heaven until she remembered the events of the night before. She had cuddled Oliver, and he'd accepted it, asked for it even and now they were waking up the next morning _still cuddling_. They were intricately wrapped around each other though regrettably fully clothed. Felicity sighed contently as she cuddled into Oliver accepting his warmth for as long as possible.

"G'morning." Oliver's voice held no trace of sleep, he was wide awake and had been for a while. Suddenly Felicity felt horrible. She'd probably wrapped herself up in his legs and ruined all chances of him getting up without waking her. Oliver was much too polite to wake her from her sleep it seemed.

"Morning." She smiled hoping one day she would be able to get used to this. Waking up in Oliver's arms content, happy and feeling loved was the best, most euphoric feeling Felicity had ever felt. She enjoyed just cuddling with Oliver and enjoying the silence as he silently drew circles on her back. Neither spoke or moved beyond Oliver's intricate patterns on her back and both felt entirely content to simply lay together all day.

"So, I, uh Bruce and I have to pick up Lex today." Oliver told her suddenly after a few minutes, though he kept up his ministrations on her back. Felicity instantly blushed and began climbing off of Oliver not wanting him to be late or embarrass him.

"Sorry, you're probably late. You should go, you could'a woke me, now I feel bad," Felicity continued to ramble for a minute about how bad she would feel if she was responsible for her cousin-in-law being held up at the airport. Finally Oliver's grin broke too large and his hands fell to her hips and he finally interrupted her ranting.

"I have to pick them up around three-thirty, it's only ten. I was going to ask if you wanted to come-" Oliver chuckled before blushing slightly as he looked at her, "But, uh, if you didn't mind laying here for a bit longer," Felicity herself blushed profusely as she met his gaze and nodded intently not wanting to ruin the moment with her incessant rambling. The two fell back comfortably onto the couch now with a blanket wrapped around them and the TV back on with Oliver surfing the remote before Felicity snatched it from his hands.

"Nuh-uh. Saturday mornings are my cartoon days." Felicity stuck her tongue out at Oliver as she had to Bruce, Selina and Diggle often and turned back to the Looney Tunes in time to see Elmer Fudd shoot himself in the ass. Oliver just laughed and settled in to watch Cartoons with the young Genius that had captivated him since their first meeting.

They laid like that simply watching cartoons, laughing childishly and enjoying the moment. At times Felicity would turn to Oliver after she laughed at something funny to find him staring at her as she laughed having missed the joke to gaze.

Other times Oliver would look down to see Felicity's eyes glazed over staring at the television but obviously deep in thought with a severely content look on her face. It was the most natural, comfortable silence either one had ever experienced and it felt amazing to be able to simply enjoy a moment with someone without words.

* * *

Oliver and Felicity enjoyed the moment for nearly two hours before a loud door slamming woke the two from their half nap-half cuddle session. The slam was followed by a loud female voice yelling "We're back bitches!" that had Felicity up and out of Oliver's arms in moments. Eager to meet the award winning novelist and her billionaire husband Oliver strolled after Felicity, though at a much more leisurely pace.

When he finally reached the front foyer the sight that greeted him was highly unsuspected. Felicity, Selina and an eccentric, spunky Blonde that could only be Chloe Sullivan-Luthor were gossiping in hushed squeaks as they extracted themselves from their welcoming hugs. Meanwhile Bruce and Lex were pulling themselves from a long brotherly embrace while they managed to smooth right into business talk.

When the foyer finally noticed Oliver everything seemed to stop. Lex stared at him for a moment, quite visibly judging the 'New Oliver' while Chloe simply smiled at him, accepting his presence. Oliver met Lex's fierce business glare with his own perfected thousand yard stare which seemed to earn him some respect from the room's oldest billionaire. Lex crossed the foyer slowly and pulled Oliver into a half-hug and gave him a small nod.

"Oliver." Lex smiled as he acknowledged his old foe. The bald Billionaire had long since learned that keeping grudges was a simply way of losing everyone around you. A lesson long he had since learned from his new friends when he moved into in the small Kansas town of Smallville. "You look good." Lex said as he continued to stare the younger man up and down.

"I could say the same, it's good to see you again Lex." Oliver smiled as the group started to wander toward the den.

"So Oliver, I hear you're running a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises?" Lex asks, casually trying to assimilate Oliver into his new personality and forgive him for his past. Oliver could tell that Lex's attempt was a bit forced. It was likely the influence of his wife that kept him from his hatred.

"Not really, we're going to stick my name on a company and say that I run it." Oliver grinned at Bruce as the two Billionaires shared a laugh at his expense. They had obviously talked about the business as a tactic to cover for Oliver's stay at Wayne Manor, but Oliver never intended on owning a business for real.

As the chuckles faded the look Bruce gave Oliver was one of palpable humor and amusement, the same with Lex. Obviously they had discussed the topic far more than Oliver had assumed. He thought he was getting his named tacked on as CEO of some new club or a manufacturing branch of some sort. Why would they entrust Oliver Queen with a business? As far as the world was concerned Oliver was a pompous jackass with an arrogance problem. The evening gossip report didn't let him forget it.

"What's so funny?" Oliver asks after the chuckles finally die down and Lex and Bruce are left grinning from their seats.

"You're going to learn to manage a business Oliver." Bruce told him with a slight shake of his head.

"What?" Oliver had never expected to have his name on a masthead, let alone actually run a business.

"Yeah, while Lex is here we're going to teach you business management, and you're going to choose a subsidiary to run."

"No." Oliver couldn't believe this, how was he going to run a business? He wasn't a university grad with a degree in business management, he had no clue how to run a company. Lex and Bruce just nodded sincerely with slightly apologetic looks on their faces.

With an audible groan that sent room into laughter Oliver sank into the couch and prepared himself for what would easily be described as hell. He never wanted to get into business, it wasn't his strong suit, nor was it slightly enjoyable to him. When he was younger his Dad used to sit him down and try and teach him business math, Oliver simply shut it out and went on with his day. It seemed now, learning business was inevitable.

* * *

As the day wore on Oliver saw Felicity less and less, something he wasn't particularly fond of. The Sassy Blonde had a way of brightening Oliver's mood no matter what he was doing. And right now, Oliver could use all of the mood brightening he could get. Shortly after the B-bomb was dropped the Girls gathered their things for a shopping spree and left the boys to talk business in the study.

Or if you're in the young, Blond Billionaire's position, they left him with the world's most intimidating torturers. Three hours of meaningless business talk was less endurable than Billy Wintergreen's torture. At least then Oliver had pain to focus on, now Oliver couldn't even focus from the sheer force of his headache.

"So, Oliver." Bruce said returning from the deep conversation he and Lex had been having about appropriate businesses for Oliver to run. "We've narrowed the list, a Nightclub, a Steel Mill or a Charity organization. Each one offers a perfect excuse." Bruce asked, noticing his friend's agony he quickly decided this would be the end of today's discussion.

"Nightclub." Oliver said without a doubt, he knew about parties, plus he could keep the place drug free. It was the easiest option available, Oliver knew nothing of Steel Mills or Charitable causes. He knew his father had owned one of each and relocated them to foreign countries with less legal restrictions.

"Okay, tomorrow we'll get to work on the details, Name, Location, Advertising, etc." Bruce smiled toward Oliver as he stood, "We'll let you go get some aspirin and relax." Lex laughed at that, he'd noticed Oliver's lack of attention to the conversation and took pity on the man as he stumbled out of the room.

"You know he'll lose you money right?" Lex asked as he joined Bruce next to the scotch glasses. He knew Bruce didn't drink often, not that Alfred would let him, but it was nice to share a love for vintage scotch with someone for a change. Chloe had never really cracked the whip about his drinking, but he'd come to slow down and just appreciate the taste instead of the buzz.

"_Oh_ yeah, I just look at it like a give and return charity. I give him money and unlimited chances now, he returns later ten fold on the deal." Bruce smiled as he poured them both a shot.

Scotch was always his guilty pleasure. Selina often gave him shit when she saw him drinking alone, she considered it morbid and depressing. But instead of making him quit, she'd simply offered to be his drinking companion. As time dragged on Bruce found himself drinking less and talking to Selina more. They'd talk about anything and everything and it never left the study.

"How do you know he'll come through in the end?" Lex asked as he swigged his cup and turned to the book shelf. Thomas Wayne's book collection was rivaled by the Library of Congress. He owned nearly every important book in the world. The man read everything, Greek tragedies, Shakespeare's finest, Philosophical manuscripts, News Articles, Business Guides. You name it he owned it.

"Because he doesn't _have_ to come through with money." Oliver was much more important than that, though profit was never a complaint. His help with Bruce's mission was enough. With Oliver as an addition to the team Bruce would be more able to focus on the list while Selina and Oliver patrolled the streets. That was the plan for tonight, Bruce would recon Martin Summer's warehouse office while Oliver and Selina patrolled the Glades.

"Ah, and how goes the Vengeful Crusade?" Lex smirked as he poured himself another drink, more full than the shot Bruce initially poured, and sat on the couch.

"Good, since Oliver joined us we've taken three names off the list in three weeks." Bruce joined Lex across from the couch.

He always enjoyed the elder man's company. He was the ideal sound board for his plans, always offering the best advice and never taking offense to advice not taken. Lex was an impeccable asset to Bruce's crusade. He'd been the one to suggest suiting up, even offered his prototype combat suit to copy. Lex was responsible for so much more than just Bruce's crusade, he had been the dearest friend during Oliver's disappearance. He scoured the earth trying to find Oliver for years as a favor to Bruce.

"That's impressive, doesn't recon usually takes longer than a few days?" Lex asked, he didn't know the finer details, he didn't know that Oliver was an expert marksmen with bow and gun, he didn't know about Bruce's training with the League. He chose to remain 'blissfully ignorant of criminal activities.' as he liked to say.

"Yeah, but that's mainly because we have to consider how we're going to sneak in and get to the target. With Oliver we can eliminate double the bodyguards in half the time and walk right in." Bruce gestured with his hands as he spoke while Lex relaxed on the opposite couch with his leg up.

"Impressive. I'm sure Clark will be _thrilled._" Lex says sarcastically, Clark had never been the biggest supporter of Bruce. It was only because Lex_ and _Chloe defended him, his goals and his methods. Clark didn't seem to understand that these people _could _help themselves. His problems were centered around mutants, people with unnatural powers. Bruce's problem was the parasite that is organized crime. These people chose to live these lives and torment others, and they deserve to die.

"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to that conversation." Bruce sighed as he recalled the last 'conversation' he'd had with Clark Kent. It was more of a shouting match than anything. "So how is Super-boy?" Bruce asked curiously, it was always nice to hear tales from Metropolis. He'd never admit it to anyone, but he'd read Chloe's book and it made him curious about the mysterious things that happen around Clark Kent.

"He's good actually, a bit anxious. There hasn't been a world ending calamity in a few months and that's a bit foreboding." Lex admitted, usually trouble kept come like a constant wave. A calm in that wave usually foreboded a tsunami like event. Lex wouldn't admit it but he was often scared for his safety and the safety of his family. He couldn't fathom a world without Chloe, or Clark but considering his abilities losing him is unlikely.

"Sounds fun." Bruce grinned jokingly as Lex blew out a long breathe.

"Yeah, not really." Lex admitted taking another drink and moving to easier conversation topics.

* * *

Oliver marched into the cave at sundown, his migraine long since passed with a small nap. He wasn't surprised to find Lex and Chloe standing in the cave, more the fact that they seemed enraptured with Oliver's suit.

"Why Green?" Lex asks as Oliver reaches the 'appropriate' distance to have a conversation. Lex's gaze seemed focused on the external features of the suit, the hood, the soft, green leather material covering the combat suit. Chloe's gaze seemed transfixed on the bow, the simplistic bow carved on the trees of Lian Yu. She seemed intently mesmerized by all of the small carvings along the upper and lower limps of the bow.

"Robin Hood." Oliver answered easily, "He was the ultimate hero to me when I was a kid. The idea that someone was willing to rise against the societal norms and fight oppression." He elaborated as Lex nodded intently. Chloe seemed awed by the words. "I actually got archery lessons as a kid because of him." Oliver laughed as he remembered how deplorable his attempts were. He'd actually managed to fire two whole arrows less than five feet after a month.

"Is that who you are? Robin Hood?" Chloe asks curiously as she turns to Oliver he notices a pad and pencil in hand.

"The media prefers Green Arrow." Bruce piped up from the computer where he stood with Selina and Felicity pouring over the list for a new target.

"_Green Arrow_ huh?" Chloe says with a distinctly inquisitive tone that could only belong to a reporter. "I could'a come up with something better than that, _Robin_." She grins, winks and turns as she marches toward the computer with Lex on her trail.

"I'm not Robin Hood, I actually prefer Green Arrow." He admitted as she followed the duo toward the computer. "So who're we hunting today Felicity." Oliver asks as he turns to find Felicity staring up at him adorably. She continued to stare for an awkward minute as the room's occupants focused on her. With a light tap from Chloe, Felicity snapped back into attention.

"Oh, right." She shook her head and turned to the computer bringing up the face of an rugged, middle aged looking businessman. "This is Martin Summers," Felicity introduced with a nervous gulp, as her blush faded her confidence returned. "He, is the Black Mask's go to importer. When the Mask needs Guns, Cars, _People_. Moved in and out of the country, the Mask calls Summers." Felicity announced, nobody was all that shocked, they'd dealt with human traffickers before.

"Where will he be tonight?" Lex asks curiously to which Bruce simply shakes his head.

"He'll be at the Docks, tonight, I'm going to follow him while Oliver and Selina patrol the Glades." Bruce admitted, taking down bad guys wasn't as easy as kicking in the door and saying boo. Not if they wanted to live.

"Oh." Lex said as he sat back and continued to listen.

"Oliver, Selina, you two gear up, be ready for eight-thirty. I gotta go catch my crook." Bruce smiled almost sinisterly as he marched toward his suit.

"He really has a flare for the dramatic." Lex smiled as he watched his friend begin to gear up.

"You have no idea." Selina groans as she and Chloe walk over to her own suit in hushed whispers.

"Is he really that bad?" Lex turns to ask Oliver and he simply smiles and shrugs.

"It might be, I haven't really noticed." Oliver stalks off toward his own gear but not before shooting Felicity a parting glance that nearly melts her heart. She was terrified for Oliver to go on patrol. She would be a mess if she lost him. They might not be together, but he was the first guy to really notice her in years. He made her feel like a woman, not an insignificant. That in in itself was one of Oliver's most attractive features. Though him being the hottest guy in Starling, was not in any way a bad thing.

* * *

Patrol was pretty quiet, most cases the Glades had a few nightly muggings, a murder or two but occasionally Selina had encountered major crimes. Store robberies, B&amp;E's and even an assassination attempt. Crime never rested in the Glades, so neither would Selina, nor Oliver for that matter. This unnatural silence gave Selina and Oliver a chance to talk.

"Selina," Oliver spoke interrupting her thoughts, "what's bothering you?" Oliver noticed her absence half an hour before and assumed it was simply forced concentration. Now, it was obvious something was wrong.

"Bruce." She says without hesitation, she trusts Oliver with her life, she could trust him with her secrets. "He proposed." She summarized in an attempt to finish the conversation. She may trust Oliver, but the rooftop of an apartment in the Glades was not the place to have this conversation. Unfortunately, Selina found herself spilling her guts before she could stop herself.

"He gave me this big speech about how I've changed his life, how he loves me more than anything, how he was doing_ this_, fighting this crusade for the family he wants to have one day." Selina admitted as she started to tear up. "The family he wants to have with me." She cried fully now, she was honestly terrified, she couldn't risk putting her heart on the line like this. Bruce, or her could die at any moment, she doesn't want to deal with a child on top of all of that heart break.

"I-I-I can't." She says as Oliver pulls her into a tight hug. "I can't be a-a-mother. I didn't even have my own mother." She sobs fully into Oliver's shoulder now and he simply holds her as she sobs.

"I think you can." Oliver smiles as she pulls back from him after a minute of crying. "Selina, you're one of the most intelligent, beautiful, determined, strong, and compassionate people I've ever met." Oliver admits as she dries her eyes with her sleeve, "If anyone can be a mother, it's you." Oliver smiles when Selina starts to nod silently as she moves to stand beside him.

Just as the duo fall in line to go back to the cave two gunshots ring out loud and clear from the alley between two buildings down the street.

Without a moment of hesitation the duo jump across the roofs and begin descending the fire escape of the offending alleyway to find an unexpected sight. Two men, with small armories attached to their bodies stood over two thugs' bodies being _thanked _by an Older lady who then turned and walked away. Oliver sends Selina a small nod before the duo descend upon the mysterious men.

As Oliver gets close he notices the duo are in matching outfits. Matching black leather jackets, similar black skinny jeans and similar masks, one red and one black.

"Stop right there!" Oliver shouts as he drops the height of the fire escape to the ground with an arrow notched. The duo turned wordlessly to each other and pulled dual nine-millimeter pistols from their jackets to fire at Oliver. Oliver dashed behind the cover of a dumpster quickly while Selina slunk down from the fire escape and engaged the Red hooded man. With his friend tied up, the Black hooded one failed to notice Oliver charge toward him from out of his cover.

The duo put up a good fight as they wrestled Oliver and Selina for the pistols, they countered and defended themselves near excellently. Unfortunately for them, Selina and Oliver were much faster, and stronger. Selina managed to disarm the Red Hood but was held at a stalemate as the man pulled a machete, and throwing knives from his belt.

Oliver was much luckier, his target had quickly been distracted by the sounds elicited from Selina beating his friend. This allowed Oliver the opportunity to disarm and subdue him in a matter of seconds, though subduction was more so a swift punch to the temple than restraining him. With his crook taken care of Oliver turned his attention to Selina who stood ten paces from the Red Hood, the machete in the center between them and a series of throwing knives still on-hand.

Without hesitation Oliver fired multiple intent-to-wound arrows toward the 'vigilante' which he deflected with his remaining throwing knives. The Red Hood glanced toward his unconscious partner and shook his head as he raised his hands in surrender.

"Wait-wait! Don't kill us!" The man, a older-teenage boy from the sound of his voice called with his hands in the air. "We're just trying to help you, the Glades is too big for two people. If it weren't for us, two women would have been raped tonight, another would have been murdered and a man would have killed his son." The Red Hood defended himself as he reached for the back of his head. "Please, I'm just an ordinary kid, I live four blocks that way," He gestures down the street with his head, "Please, let us go. We'll get silencers next time."

That got a laugh out of Selina, "Kid, you wanna keep doing this?" Selina asked curious as she glanced toward his unconscious friend and the dead bodies up the alley way. "That," She points to the face-down goon ten feet behind them, "Could be you one day." She admits that thought scares her. That one day she might die on one of these missions. She never wanted kids before, but somehow, Bruce had infected her mind and made her want a family.

"That doesn't seem to stop you guys." The retorts making Oliver smirk.

"If you knew us, we aren't regular people." Oliver admits as he lowers his bow, the boy posed no serious threat, what harm could one conversation do? "We've done things and been places no one should ever see." Oliver shuddered as he remembered the horrifying places the League kept their most violent experiments.

"And do you know me? Or him?" The Red Hood shot back almost angrily, "I've seen some shit too, so has he. We aren't exactly _normal_ anymore." The Hood argued back making Selina and Oliver turn to each other for a minute. They shared a pensive glance, their eyes gleamed with their worries, their fears, their doubts. If they were wrong about these two, the whole world as they know it could crash around them.

"We'll be in touch." Oliver said handing the boy his communicator, he and Selina were going to talk to Bruce about this. They knew he was very anti-vigilante for some reason, but these boys seemed intent on continuing their work. Without a word they turned from the boy and his unconscious friend and turned back for Wayne Manor. They had much to discuss and more to argue.

* * *

"Abso-lutely not!" Bruce yelled as he stormed into the study from the Cave. "I will not invite _kids _into this Selina!" Bruce glared at the beautiful, mischievous minx known to the world as Selina Kyle. "This is way to dangerous for a bunch of teenagers." Bruce would not stand for this.

First Oliver had broached the subject and been shot down, then Lex proposed expanding the team as a subtle hint toward recruiting the two boys. After that Selina had almost attacked him, demanding these boys be recruited before they get themselves killed.

Overall they made a fair point, the teens had put up a healthy fight against Oliver and Selina which was more then most professional bodyguards. From the cam-footage from Selina's goggles they seemed intent on continuing their own crusade to save the Glades. They were well trained in Close Quarters, well versed in guns, machetes and throwing knives and incredibly devoted to their cause.

"_Fine,_ I'll speak with them." Bruce gave in, if only to shut Selina's insistent argument down. He would track the communicator that night and intimidate the boys into never touching a mask again.

* * *

"Hey Speedy-" Oliver's merry tone was interrupted as she entered his sister's room and found her boyfriend and his friend laying shirtless and heavily bruised side by side on the bed. From the looks of it the boys went five rounds with Iron Man. Roy, his sister's boyfriend was covered in bruising around the ribs and had one clear knock to the temple. The other boy, Jason, was covered in more, less severe bruises then Roy and had a cut that his girlfriend, a brunette Oliver forgot the name of, was tending.

"Woah, what happened to you guys?" Oliver grinned as he put the pieces together, connecting the boys to the Duo from the night before.

"We were on our way home when we heard and Old Lady being mugged. Guess the guys didn't like being interrupted." Roy tried to smirk which turned into a grimace as he glanced over to the raven-haired teen who grinned confidently.

"Hope ya' won." Oliver smiled as he sat near the door, "So, Thea, I don't know if you've heard but, I'm opening a new night club." Oliver grinned, he'd come to accept the fact that he'd be a businessman. He was almost looking forward to it now. The lessons Lex and Bruce had given him that morning was refreshing, it was like School where your teachers actually care about you.

"Really? That's awesome!" She grinned up at him as she stopped wrapping her boyfriend's gauze for a minute. "What's the deets? Where's me 'n the bros gunna turn the party up?" Thea grinned as she pretended to be gangster, much to the chagrin of her friends.

"Thea, please stop." The Brunette, Stephanie if memory served correctly, groaned at Thea's impression.

"Well, uh-I, I don't really know. I kinda wanted your help with that." Oliver asked as she turned a curious eye to him.

"My help?" Thea gulped as she realized that Oliver knew all about her night life, and her bad habits.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to tell. I do want you to clean up, and I'm going to help you, but for right now I need your party knowledge." Oliver knew he wasn't being the best big brother, definitely not the one he was before he left, but for right now he needed the bad side of his little sister. He fully intended on cleaning her up, he wouldn't let her through her life away, but he also knew assaulting her habits would create a rift he didn't need right then.

"Well, don't play shitty music, don't sell cheap, or super expensive liquor, don't let people over-dose in your club." Thea rattled off the basics quickly which almost surprised Oliver as he realized just how serious Thea was about parties.

"Sounds easy." Oliver smiled, he knew it would be difficult but he was going to keep his club drug-free.

"You'd be surprised." Thea shook her head as if the thought took her to some dark place and as much as Oliver wanted to elaborate, now was not the time.

"So, Thea, mind if I talk to your boyfriend and Jason alone for a minute." He smiled, and shot her a devilish wink that made her think this would be the 'protective, big brother speech. Thea quickly stood and pulled Stephanie by the hand to go get some snacks. Once the door was shut and the footsteps disappeared into the house Oliver turned, with all of the seriousness of the Green Arrow toward the boys.

"I know what really happened." Oliver said, his face an emotionless mask of terror. "I know who's responsible for that," He gestured to the temple bruise on Roy's forehead, "and I know it was more than just a mugging." The boys' faces blanked as they realized who _really_ sat in front of them.

"I want to make one thing very, _very_ clear." Oliver said giving Roy the most intimidating thousand yard stare he'd ever seen. "Thea, stays, out." Three simple words put the absolute fear of god into the boys as Oliver stood from his chair just in time for Thea to return with a tray of crackers.

"Hey Ollie I-" Thea stops when she realizes Oliver met them at the door because he was on the way out. "Oh, I'll see you later?" She asks handing the tray to Stephanie as she steps up on her tip-toes and kisses his cheek. Oliver nods as he smiles down at his sister and wraps her in a big hug before strolling out of the room for Wayne Manor.

* * *

Oliver strolled in the front door and wandered straight for the den he and Felicity slept in together. It was by far his favorite room in the house, not because of that moment, well not solely, more so because it was most often where he found Felicity. He usually found her nose first into a book, or strolling the internet on one of her many laptops.

Today he found Felicity sitting in the den with Chloe sipping coffee and telling stories. He simply stood in the doorway for a few minutes listening. Felicity told Chloe of the day Selina found the cave, Chloe told her about when Lex bought her Watchtower. Oliver simply enjoyed watching the two girls, cousins by blood sisters by choice, interact. It was oddly calming to watch Felicity smile so effortlessly as she and her cousin shamelessly shared stories without even noticing Oliver.

Before he realized it half an hour had passed with him standing silently in the doorway enjoying Felicity's voice and demeanor. She in herself, was a sight to behold. So effortlessly beautiful and still entirely down to earth. It was only when Felicity turned, with two empty mugs that she noticed Oliver in the door.

"Oh, Oliver." Felicity blushed the cutest crimson as she stood in the middle of the den with her cousin snickering behind her. "H-h-wha-ho." She couldn't find the right words and Chloe barked in laughter as she listened to her cousin's awkward babbling.

"Hey Oliver, how long have you been there?" Chloe asks for her cousin as she blushes an even deeper shade of red and marched out of the room heavily embarrassed before Oliver could answer.

"Maybe half an hour." Oliver glances at his watch and realizes it was more like forty-five minutes. "Sorry, I just get a little distracted sometimes." Oliver smiles as he enters the room and joins Chloe, choosing to sit opposite of where Felicity had been.

"It's alright, Lex was the same way, still is sometimes." She smiles fondly as she folds into herself on the couch, "You know she adores you right?" Chloe asked curiously, she wasn't about to let her oldest friend's heart get stomped on. Felicity had told her all about the feelings she gets when Oliver is around, or stares at her, or smiles. Chloe knew all about the night in the den.

"Not as much as I adore her." Oliver smiles as he stares at his feet, "I have these nightmares sometimes." Oliver admitted, it felt good to talk about these things. "I haven't told anyone, not even my mom. They're so vivid, it's like I'm living my worst nightmare. Sometimes its the island, sometimes its captivity, sometimes its the torture." Oliver didn't expect to reveal these things, they just kind of came out.

"I, I never knew how to handle them," He paused taking a cautious breathe, "How to stop them." He elaborated, all he could think about was Felicity, how she had brought light to his darkness. "Then, the day you guys showed up, was the first time Felcity and I slept together, and" He said first, hoping it wasn't just a one time thing. "The first time I slept without a nightmare."

"I'm sure it won't be the last." Chloe smiled as she watched Oliver, she was always the supportive friend, always knew the best thing to say.

"Thank you." Oliver smiled up at the blonde, she wasn't a spitting image of Felicity, but the similarities were there. About a moment later Felicity wandered into the room with two mugs and a shy smile.

"Sorry Oliver, I didn't know if you wanted one or not." Felicity apologized sitting beside Chloe again as Oliver stood with a pleased smile and sent a nod toward Chloe.

"It's alright, I've gotta go talk to Bruce. I just needed to talk to Chloe for a minute. I'll see you later though?" Oliver asked stupidly, it was nearly dinner and after that the house retreated to the Cave for briefing.

Felicity smiled, "Ya know, I might skip work today, let you kids have your fun." She lolled back on the couch dramatically, "I am feeling fairly faint." She held the overly dramatized position for a moment before grinning to her cousin, as Oliver shook his head with a smirk and turned to leave. "Bye Oliver!" Felicity called turning to giggle with her cousin.

* * *

"Bruce, listen to me. Just because their teenagers, doesn't mean they aren't capable." Lex argued as Oliver entered the study, it was a collective group effort to convince Bruce to let the kids in.

Selina took the protection approach, that they could defend the kids from serious harm. Lex took the practicality argument, that expanding the team would reduce street crime in the Glades and let Bruce focus on the list. Felicity took the logical direction, if the kids won't stop on their own, best to hone and direct their skills before they go rogue. And Oliver used the list against him, with the kids recon would be easier, and do-able during day light thanks to their anonymity. Plus they could patrol while Selina and Oliver helped with the take-downs.

Slowly but surely Bruce's mind was changing. He'd assumed that telling Selina he'd talk to them would end it and he had been oh so wrong. They used coordinated attacks to help convince him and it was slowly working, wearing him down. Lex would attack him in the study, Oliver would trap him in the hall way, Selina would corner him in the bedroom, Felicity and Chloe would trap him in the kitchen. No where was safe for the billionaire.

"I understand that Lex, but I can't risk someone being _more _capable. If those kids die it would be on me." Bruce argued, his guilt reflex kicking in hard. He always felt responsible, every day he was out hunting the List and a innocent name appeared on the news next morning he took a hit.

"Then train them." Oliver added his two cents. "There are two of them, we both take a protege and if we feel they aren't ready they don't go out." It was a sound argument, if one was out of line, incompetent or reckless they'd be held back until they focus.

"You know they'll have to know who we are right?" Bruce argued with Oliver trying to turn him around, Oliver shook his head slowly, "They kinda already know about me." Oliver admitted much to the bewilderment of the two billionaires across the room.

"This morning, I went over to see Thea and there they were, Roy Harper and Jason Todd, covered in bruises and talking about an older lady being mugged." Oliver didn't really mean to let them in, but there was no way in hell he was letting his little sister get wrapped up in this. "Thea and the other girl were treating their wounds like it was ordinary. I don't want Thea involved in this, and right now she's playing nursemaid to these kids."

"_Fine._ We'll bring them in, since I'm obviously out-voted." Bruce grumbled as he turned back to his chair and sat down. "But this Roy is on you Oliver." He glared toward the Blonde who smiled unabashedly. He was glad to get his way, these boys were in trouble. At least with the Bat-family they stand a better chance.

* * *

That night Bruce found his way into the Red Hood's house, a modest shack in one of the rougher Glades' neighborhoods. It was a small bungalow, a bathroom, bedroom, kitchen and living room with one hallway. When the door swung open Bruce back himself into the corner while Jason wandered in from a night of street patrolling and set his weapons on the table.

"Knew you'd be around." The boy turned his head in Bruce's direction as if he always knew where he was. "The Arrow said he'd be in touch." The boy, raven-haired and very familiar to Bruce at his age seemed disinterested.

"We'll take you on." Bruce offered as much as he hated it. "You join us, we'll train you, keep you fit, healthy and let you patrol the Glades."

"And if we don't_ want_ to be taken on." The boy countered defensively as he reached into the cupboard and retrieved a yogurt. "What, you'll kill us? Because we know Oliver is the Arrow?" Jason asked curiously as he relaxed against his counter and snacked on his yogurt. He didn't seemed phased at the thought of his own death. Perhaps he was more like Bruce than he'd thought.

"We won't kill you," Bruce lied, he was fully prepared to kill both boys should he have to. "We're trying to look out for you. Under us you'll be taken care of. Alibis, proper medical attention, constant, legitimate combat training. All the things you don't have on your own"

Bruce didn't really know why he was trying so hard to convince the boy. If he was so hell bent on self-destruction why should Bruce care. But then a small part of his mind connected all of the similarities between Bruce and the Boy. This boy was a near spitting image of Bruce from his teens, just old enough to be born during Bruce Wayne's play-boy days. He wondered how he never knew, if the mother had ever tried to come forward or if Jason even knew who his father was.

"I'll talk to Roy," Jason sighed in surrender as he finished his yogurt and tossed it into the garbage can under the sink.

"Actually, Oliver will." Bruce said, feeling horrible as he knocked his own son unconscious. Even if it was the first time he was meeting his son, he didn't want the boy to hate him. He quietly took the boy's unconscious body and returned to the Cave for a night of shocking revelations.

* * *

Jason's eyes blinked open as a sharp pounding beat in his head. He quickly glanced around and realized he and Roy were in a cave. The cave was dimmed, the only light pouring from the multi-screened computer and the florescent light directly above Jason's head. The next thing he noticed was the silhouettes of six figures, three male, three female, all intimidating as hell.

"Where the hell?" Jason heard from his right, his gaze locking on Roy who looks no worse for wear aside from a bit of blood in his hair. Jason's attention snapped back toward the silhouettes when the tallest man in the middle cleared his throat. He noticed his arms and legs weren't tied down as he leaned forward and grabbed the arm putting himself in a defensive position.

"This is your execution, unless, you prove you deserve to be a hero." Bruce said as terrifying and as full of malice as he could. He really had no intention of killing the kids, he simply needed to see how they handled in-tense, life or death situations.

"What do you want to know?" Roy asked terror seeping into his voice, he didn't want to die, not in some interrogation at the least.

"Everything. Why do you fight crime? What makes you better then anyone else? Why should you fight beside us?" Oliver spoke this time, the same terrifying malice dripping from his voice.

"My mom." Roy said quickly swallowing his obvious discomfort, "She was a prostitute," He admitted, staring shamefully at the ground, "That's how I was born. Some fuck from the Falcone mafia raped her, but she got through it, she cleaned up after having me, wanted me to have a good life." Roy said, this story obviously difficult for him, "When I was three she got a boyfriend, not a very nice guy. He hit my mom and me, badly. But then, about a year later." He paused, swallowing more discomfort and fighting tears, "She got pregnant and he turned into a decent person, he stopped drinking." He paused as choked trying to hold back tears.

"Then, one day. On their way home from an Ultrasound, literally on the sidewalk out from of our house. A guy robs them, steals my mom's purse, and my step-dad's wallet and keys. Then shoots them, my step-dad in the forehead, my_ eight month_ pregnant mother in the _stomach." _Roy stopped for a minute to gather himself before continuing, "One crime, stole my whole life, of course I want to take it down." Roy glared up at the silhouettes, "Are you happy?" He asked sadly before putting his head down shamefully.

"Why can you fight better than a regular teenager?" Bruce asked, his heart broke for the boy's poor childhood. It was exactly the reason he had Selina patrol the streets.

"Jason." He admitted as he looked toward his friend who sat unfazed beside him. His eyes were apologetic, he'd turned the focus to him. Now they would force the same type of story from Jason.

"And where did _you _learn to fight?" Bruce asked accusingly, it felt as if he was scolding his son for a playground scuffle.

"The Glades." He said dryly, "I used to fight in underground cage matches for money. It was better to be small, quick and deadly than a slow block of muscle and meat." Bruce could tell the flat tone was a diversion, an attempt to mask the old, deep wounds. That was obviously not a prideful time in his life.

"And why do you fight crime?"

"I couldn't let Roy do it alone." He said, but it was another defense mechanism, it was to divert them back to Roy but none of them bought that.

"And why do you_ really_ fight crime?"

"This would trace back to my, _wonderfully devout_ father." Bruce gulped as Jason took a dramatic pause, "An arrogant, lazy drunk that worked as an Overseer for a construction company." Bruce glared, it was unlikely that was the boy's true father, which meant he was likely oblivious about Bruce's parentage. "That was his day job, at night he was a pimp." He said with such disdain and hatred. "The fucking prick_ sold_ my mom to his friends." Jason's voice held so much hatred it reminded the group of Heroes of Bruce's fury.

"She coped by doing meth, which my_ loving, dear Father_." His voice dripping sarcasm, "was all to eager to provide as she long as she continued to accept_ it_." Jason stopped for a minute, simply thinking about something, "I was ten when I killed him. I mean, it was an accident, but I'm still responsible." Jason admitted much to the shock of the room. Only Roy didn't gasp in shock, he'd known for the better part of a year.

"We were arguing about the drugs, he smacked me, I knee capped him, he went temple first into the corner of our metal table." Jason causally as if such an act was perfectly fine which alerted the Heroes. This boy, at ten years old, killed his father, it wasn't a very good start for Jason. "After that I hopped foster homes and ran away time and time again. Finally, I found this, tent city. People there took care of me, in exchange I fought in their cage matches." Jason spoke calmly but his eyes warred with conflicting emotions.

"I grew up there, watching fucked up things, and fighting_ all_ the time. I once broke every tooth in a man's face with my boot. My first girlfriend was a slave. Sold into slavery to an Assyrian Diplomat before I could break her out." Jason paused, that memory obviously hurting, "I saw_ more_ than enough crime, and I want to bring _it all_ down." Jason admitted with such a fire in his eyes. None of them could deny he was passionate about the cause.

"To answer your last question. I'm better than the average teenager because I'm still here. You know how many, 'average teenagers' I fought." Jason taunted, a hollow look in his eye, "They're pathetic, some didn't know the right way to hold a knife." Jason growled angrily, he sincerely regretted joining Batman at this moment.

At that the lights flicked on, the three women's eye brimmed with tears, sympathy for the orphans. Bruce stood silently, his cowl still covering his face as he survey the two boys. He would admit they had his sympathies as well, but he didn't say a word as he stepped toward the two boys.

"If anyone learns who we are. You are _dead._" Bruce glared viciously as he grabbed the top of his cowl and pulled it back.

"Holy shit." Jason gasped while Roy simply nodded his head, "I figured it was probably you after I knew Oliver was the Arrow. Thea complains that Oliver's at your house all the time." Roy admitted, his interrogation forgotten as he remembered he'd get a chance to kick the shit out of them in training. "Frankly, I'm more surprised to see Lex." Roy said glancing between the room's occupants nervously.

"So who do I fight first." Jason asked hopping up from his chair only to be firmly stopped be Bruce.

"No one, first you disarm." Bruce demanded, gesturing toward long bench in the middle of the floor. Selina, Oliver and Lex standing around curiously while Felicity and Chloe stood at a distance and watched. Bruce led Roy and Jason to the table and stood firmly between Selina and Oliver across from Roy and Jason.

"Disarm." He demanded with a nod toward the table. Wordlessly Jason pulled his dual nine-millimeters from their holsters and placed them side by side on the table. Followed by a machete, another pistol in his boot, and twenty knives hidden in various places on his person. Roy hesitated, disarming all the same weapons as Jason before revealing hunting knife in his boot, along with another seven knives clipped to his waist beneath his belt.

"Jesus kid, you're an Arsenal." Selina gazed in amazement as the knives _literally_ piled up. Roy shrugged shamefully as he turned to Jason who gave him an incredulous stare.

"What?" He asked his friend who simply smacked him over the back of the head.

"Coulda shared." Jason grumbled as he turned back to his mediocre pile of knives compared to Roy's collection. It was stupid to get upset about, but Roy and Jason had always been partners, brothers, equals. It hurt that Roy was so much more concerned for his own safety than Jason's. If it came to it he'd give his life for Roy but it appeared Roy wouldn't do the same.

"So," Selina said, ignoring Jason's hissy fit she continued "How'da wanna look and what're we gunna call you?" Selina asked as she leans forward on the table with a notepad in hand, still glancing closely at some of the knives with a sinister glint.

"I like Arsenal." Roy grinned as he stared at his pile of knives.

"I'll stick with the Red Hood thanks." Jason smiled, as he settled against the table and stared around at the cave. The atmosphere of the place was weird, not tense from the previous interrogations but awkward, almost pensive. It unnerved him to think that these were the defenders of the poor and the unfortunate, these people were the exact opposite of the spectrum. These were the people that could make a difference all together, not playing superhero.

"And appearance?" She asked Roy as she flipped to another page to draft the suit. He launched in a long, big winded explanation how he wanted a combination of Batman, Green Arrow and original badass looks. Jason simply requested to keep his clothes, when they told him about the specially designed suits he agreed. He conformed to a simple, plain suit he could dress over, and even agreed to get a custom red helmet.

With that they were dismissed, Jason quickly went toward the Batmobile and began inspecting the tires. Roy simply wandered off toward the gym to exercise without a word to their mentors. Oliver and Bruce had decided to let the boys pick who trained them, after a half hour of 'blowing off steam' as Chloe called it. Bruce and Oliver called the boys over.

"Now, boys, we need to train you, but we can't train you together. Instead, you'll pick a mentor, and we'll change every six months. Sound reasonable?" Bruce asked curiously, if the boys disagreed there wasn't really any option left.

"Sure," The boys chorused as they turned to each other in hushed whispers for all of thirty seconds before turning toward the older Heroes.

"I want you first Bruce." Jason admitted, he felt drawn to the man. Something about him was compelling, Jason wanted to find out what it was.

"And I want you Oliver." Roy said assuaging Oliver's fear that he'd be stuck with an ungrateful brat. The mentors smiled at the teens as they lead them off to begin their training. Had the boys known they'd agreed to train in hell, they'd probably have run home crying.

The training had gone well, Roy and Jason complained of sore aches and exhaustion hours before training had finished. The boys proved durable and determined. They had never allowed their mentors to psych them out or faze them. Jason had gotten heated when Bruce mentioned his mother's life before his birth and Bruce knew to begin to teach him how to focus his anger.

Roy had been a marvel, his complaints where out-weighed by his joy. His sparing with Oliver had been an constant, unrelenting dance. The Emerald Archer was an expert fighter, for the first two hours every move Roy made Oliver was able to counter, after that the Archer's speed slowed. Unfortunately Roy couldn't tell if it was from exhaustion, or variable acceleration. Oliver had a mention of the tactic before the match began, and as time wore on the message was lost. Oliver had downed Roy more then eight times before Roy finally surrendered.

Since then the boys' retreated upstairs to tend their wounds and claim rooms in the Manor. Bruce stood in the cave at the table full of knives, surrounded by Selina, Oliver, Felicity, Chloe and Lex all prepared to discuss the boys.

"I'll be honest, Jason scares me." Lex admitted, "He seems uncontrollable, volatile. I don't know if taking him on is the smartest decision. That being said, rejecting him now could also end badly." Lex had a solid point, some of the things Jason had said, the _way _he'd said them had scared the Heroes. He was remorseless, caring and easily wounded. Not a great combination for a super-hero.

"Yeah, and Roy cracked." Chloe added, "Easily, you said execution and he was almost in tears." The couple's opinion was highly valued and they raised valid points but Oliver knew things could change. Roy could be hardened, Jason could be softened up. Time changes people, it was a fact Oliver could never forget.

"I don't know, they fought well, and they had good heads on their shoulders." Bruce defended them, realizing how hypocritical it was and ignoring Selina's arrogant smirk. "Jason, he reminds me of me. Give him time to come around, if not we'll cut him loose." Bruce admitted, he needed time to reach his son, connect with him. He had to be the father he never knew he was. That was why he spoke the next words. "There's a very large chance he's my son." Bruce stared down at the table as the occupants gasped.

Selina's grin turned to slacked jaw shock, to furious glare to sympathetic, yet disapproving frown in moments. It was as if she was debating which emotion was most important at the moment. Did she want to freak out about the kid? Scream at Bruce for not telling her? It seemed she chose the compassionate but disgruntled approach.

"Bruce, you're kidding right?" Lex grinned hopefully which fell through when Bruce shook his head slowly and turned to the screen on his sleeve.

"No, I've been running our DNA since I knocked him out, not positive yet, should be-" He turned down to the screen and blanked as he turned back to his friends with an unfortunate stare. "He's mine."

* * *

_Anyone familiar with Jason Todd should know where this is going to go._

**_Don't forget to review, follow and favorite! All reviews welcome, follows are deeply appreciated, and favorites are treasured. All comments, concerns and questions will be answered in the next update.  
_**


End file.
